Break the Walls Down
by Super Saiyan D
Summary: In an effort to get rid of his mortal enemy once and for all, Dr. Eggman flings Sonic into another dimension. Stranded, alone, and with no clear way back, can he survive this strange new world? What adventures await him? Come along and find out.
1. Hello and Goodbye

The planet Mobius. A world far, far away in the distant stars. Covered with sprawling green valleys, arid deserts, twisting underground catacombs, and ancient temples that floated in the sky. And populated by not only human beings, but all manner of unique, anthropomorphic creatures. Truly a wonder of a world. On the outside, one might call it a paradise. Peaceful and beautiful. But like many things, despite its serene looking surface, it wasn't without its dangers.

Far beyond the natural wilderness, there lay a dark city. Stretching as long and far as the eye could see. Dark and gritty. Thick with the iron tinge of machinery and the ever present odor of pollution. It was essentially a city of factories, continuously billowing toxic fumes into the sky. Refuse created from its endless production of robots and weapons designed for conquest.

At the center of this mechanical monstrosity of a city stood a tower. A single dark blue structure topped with an oval-shaped dome that appeared to resemble a rotund human being. The curved roofing was red with a triangle-shaped, yellow and black striped design decorating the front like a vest. The head of the dome was wider, outlined with radar antenna, round windows, and striped white panels on front that gave the visage of a human head. Complete with a nose, eyes, teeth, and a large mustache. The kind of structure that reeked of pretentiousness and vanity.

Both traits of the mastermind of this technological terror. The would-be conqueror of Mobius: Ivo Robotnik. Otherwise known as Dr. Eggman. A brilliant, but unhinged scientist who had but one goal – to subjugate the entire planet of Mobius, and to turn it into his own mechanical empire. The single greatest threat to all inhabitants of this world. For years the mad doctor had worked to bring all he saw under his rule. Not the least of which included building terrible war machines, using innocent animals as living batteries for his army of robots, and transforming the members of the populace themselves into soulless automatons to carry out his will. He would have conquered the planet many times by now.

If it weren't for one person.

Suddenly, the outskirts of the dank city echoed with a thunderous noise.

 _ **BOOOOM!**_

A sonic boom echoed through the eastern section of Robotropolis. One at a time, the many surveillance cameras spread throughout the city picked up a similar image. Something would quickly blast by their screens. Too quick for the cameras to make out a concrete image. The disturbance was only visible as a blue blur quickly racing past their lenses. Of course, this could only mean one thing:

 _He_ was here.

Alarms blared. Steel panels on the ground lifted up to reveal hatches, as round single-eyed drones wheeled out into defensive positions. Soulless red lenses scanned out over the area, searching for the target. It wasn't long before the speeding azure bullet was detected in the distance. And it was closing in fast. As the blue streak blasted towards their position, their targeting grids scanned and locked on as they began firing the mounted guns. But their bullets couldn't hit the bogey.

They were just too slow.

Seconds later, explosions riddled the pathway, throwing up smoke and fire. What were previously the robotic drones became broken bits of flaming, fractured metal as the high speed object tore through them.

Well, object wasn't exactly accurate.

A sound akin to wheels suddenly braking on asphalt echoed as the thing that ripped through the metal robots came to a screeching halt. As the clouds of smoke finally settled, a figure became visible. He stood on two legs and his body was almost completely covered in blue fur. Peach skin covered his arms and the round of his stomach. His face featured a peach muzzle and a long, thin black nose. Six rows of quills fell down the back of his head, and two peach-filled blue ears stood on top. He had bright emerald eyes that beamed like brilliant gemstones. And his face sported a cocky smirk that oozed the persona of reckless abandon and a devil-may-care attitude.

There stood the world famous hero of Mobius – Sonic the Hedgehog.

Turning from the heap of destroyed robots left in his wake, Sonic faced down the wide stretching road to the citadel as the alarms continued to wail. From here he could already see the swarms other Badniks heading towards his position. He could make out shades of red lightly bobbing up and down in the distance. Egg Pawns no doubt. And up above them, blueish tints floating in the air, more quickly became visible as like giant blue wasps with yellow antennae. Buzz Bombers. The waves of robots headed towards him as a mechanical voice boomed over a PA system.

" **PRIORITY ONE: HEDGEHOG ALERT! REINFORCEMENTS TO THE CENTRAL SQUARE IMMEDIATELY!"**

The hedgehog smirked in anticipation, rolling his shoulder. Word from the rest of his freedom-fighting friends was that Eggman was once again up to no good. After joining forces with the alternate versions of himself and Tails, Sonic successfully rescued his friends. It was a wild adventure traveling through time and space, revisiting familiar places, and facing off with old enemies from his past. He and his younger counterpart ultimately defeated the monster called the Time Eater and both versions of the evil scientist, once again scrambling the evil doctor's plans. All just in time for Sonic's birthday celebration.

But they had let their guard down; let themselves relax for too long. So much so that the mad genius had managed to escape from the white, timeless dimension he had been trapped in. The doctor was even able to collect all seven of the Chaos Emeralds from right under their noses. That meant time was short to stop whatever nefarious plan the good doctor was cooking up this time.

But hey, when you're the Fastest Thing Alive, you've got all the time in the world. As far as he thought anyway.

With his destination ahead and only a few dozen Badniks in the way, the hedgehog set his right foot backwards and bent his knees into a loose stance, readying himself to take off.

"Alright Sonic, maximum effort."

And in a flash he was gone, booming off towards the army.

===================================  
 **6:12 PM**  
 **Robotropolis Citadel: Command Center**  
===================================

Up in the highest, widely spaced room of the tower, a multitude of figures and calculations buzzed across a large plasma screen. A few meters in the background was another large machine and control panel. The top of the piece of equipment had a large glass cylinder built into it built with a glass cylinder. Inside the container was a console that held seven, brilliant cut gemstones, each of the sparkling jewels in a different color. Sure enough the seven Chaos Emeralds were in his possession.

Standing before the panel of buttons and devices stood the doctor himself. He gave knowing frown at what the cameras relayed to him. He wasn't surprised in the least. From the moment he heard that boom in the distance, he knew it was his hated adversary. His mind just couldn't fathom it. He could build the most amazing things and plot a hundred steps ahead. He was _destined_ to conquer the world and lead it into a glorious new era.

But then one insipid, blue-furred speedster continued to defy him. All the building, calculating, and planning in the world was never enough to do away with the meddling Mobian. A vein lightly pulsed in his forehead, anger swelling within him as the mere thought of the accursed hedgehog sent a storm of emotions swirling beneath a still surface. Humiliation. Hatred. Loathing. Years of failure and indignity at that rodent's hands. He had more than enough time to think about all these things while trapped in that insufferable dimension with his past self.

Well no longer. For now, Eggman was devising a way to rid himself of his hated enemy for good.

 _Boom_!

And right on schedule. That sounded like the hedgehog beginning to take apart the first wave of the citadel's defenses. Eggman's fingers again started typing away on the panel. The program was ready. Once the launch was initiated, he would have that blasted rodent right where he wanted him.

 _ **Boom!**_

Another blast reverberated through the walls. This one louder than before. He was getting closer. Everything was nearly in place. Analytics were done and the final output was determined. One more flip of a switch, and–

 _ **BOOM!**_

The wall behind Eggman exploded with a blast of smoke. Sure enough, his blue nemesis stepped through the cloud with look of purpose on his face.

"Hold it right there, Eggman!"

Steadily looking over his shoulder, the mad genius looked toward his old enemy. Everything was falling together perfectly. Despite his previous growing anger, his face couldn't help but break out into his usual wicked smile. This was the day. The day he would finally end it all. With a cruel smile, he stepped forward.

"Welcome, hedgehog. I've been expecting you."

Sonic cast his eyes to the left of Eggman, fixing on his device, and the Emeralds inside. Tails had been right after all. Returning his gaze to his archenemy, he said: "Hatching up another evil scheme so soon, Doc? You think you'd learn to take a vacation." His lip curved into his usual cocky smile "When you wake up twenty minutes from now in a pile of scrap metal with nothing but smashed dreams and a splitting headache, give it a try."

Eggman huffed, running a gloved finger through his mustache. "That obnoxious wit is surpassed only by your overconfidence."

"Helps that I always win."

Forcing agitation down, Eggman sneered. "Then come get me, if you dare."

Sonic smirked before curling his body forward into a ball. He spun, revving against the metal floor with his trademark Spin Dash. Friction-generated smoke peeled behind him and traces of blue light generated around his body, before he blasted forward and straight for Eggman.

The doctor simply awaited his opponent's imminent arrival, still and unflinching .

Now at maximum speed, Sonic's curled body sprung off the ground, aiming for a devastating blow to the villain.

 _SMASH!_

Before he could reach the doctor, Sonic crashed into a transparent barrier, stopping him in his tracks and preventing him from getting any closer. His spinning form ground against the energy field, producing white-lit sparks .

He pushed forward with all his might, but in the end he was thrown back, landing hard on his rear and skidding roughly across the metal floor. The hedgehog shook his slightly throbbing head, attempting to get his bearings again with a half surprised, half pained groan.

"What the..?"

Eggman laughed from inside his square-shaped wall of protection. The force field confined him, the control panel, and the machine harnessing the Chaos Emeralds.

"Sonic, Sonic, Sonic. So pathetically predictable."

Stepping forward to the edge of the barrier, he gave it a few knocks for demonstration. "Impressed? It's a high density energy field, powered directly from the radiation emitted by the Chaos Emeralds. You can kick, spin, and headbutt all you like, you won't get through it."

Sonic stood up again and dusted himself off. "Heh, so that's the big master plan now, Doc? Hide out in your little safe zone like a wuss? Hope I give up out of complete boredom?" Sonic mocked, resting a fist on his hip. "Pretty anticlimactic, don't you think?"

Eggman, however, just grinned. "Hardly, you moronic hedgehog. _That_ is only the first step."

The doctor began to pace back and forth in front of the force field, mere feet away from Sonic.

"I've had lots of time to think about the steps for this next project. You know. In that _endless dimension you left me_ _ **trapped**_ _in_. But low and behold, a random portal eventually opened and allowed my escape. From there, I set about developing my latest work of genius. "It was a long, complicated process. Countless computer simulations, probability scenarios, tireless repetitions of different quantum analyses… nothing _your_ feeble little mind could comprehend, of course. I just want you know how hard it was. And more importantly, how rewarding the end result will be."

Sonic looked on, scowling at Eggman. The doctor's pacing began to slow as he glowered at Sonic behind his dark glasses.

"You see Sonic, we've been doing this little run around of ours for longer than either of us can remember. How many times have you stepped forth to oppose me? How many of my brilliant schemes have you undone? How many _humiliating_ defeats have I suffered at your hands? In short, I have grown quite weary of your constant interference. But… one thing appears to be quite clear. I… cannot defeat you. You've destroyed, smashed, and pulverized nearly everything I've sent your way over the years. For some reason, none of my genius inventions have ever been enough."

His pace came to a stop and he turned his back on Sonic. "As much as it burns my soul to admit… _I. Can't. Beat you_."

Sonic for his worth was flabbergasted. His stare got more wide-eyed and quizzical with every second of Eggman's monologue. The arrogant scientist, the one person on Mobius with a bigger ego than him, admitting defeat? And why did this speech bring some strange sense of deja vu? It was too surprising for Sonic to even muster a witty retort. He just stood there watching. Listening.

"So then, there's only one option left."

Eggman proceeded to pull a lever and press a big red button on the control panel, immediately putting Sonic on guard.

"If I can't defeat you, I'll just have to send you away. _Forever_."

 _SHAM!_  
 _SHAM!_

In an instant, the walls of the room were covered by thick and shiny red panels of metal slamming down from gaps in the roof and folding in on each other, solidifying into a solid mass that contained the entire room. Sonic whirled his head around, recognizing them easily. They were reinforced alloys that Eggman used in some of his higher end creations. Even he and Knuckles had a hard time breaking them.

He was trapped.

And that's when the sound of crackling static caught his ears. "Huh?" He turned to see pulses of blue electricity sparking in a small circle in midair about twenty feet away. In the next moment, an indescribable sound was heard as a black wormhole began to open up there in front of him as his eyes widened. And it began to grow. "What's that?"

Safe behind the force field, Eggman gave a smug look. " _That_ Sonic, is a dimensional rift. A small tear in the fabric of time and space itself. And I will use it to send you to your _doom_."

Gasping, the hedgehog turned around to glare at his arch enemy through the barrier.

"In all honesty, I have no idea where it will send you. Perhaps to a world where the inhabitants have mutated into hideous creatures of the night. Perhaps to a frozen, uninhabited world where you'll slowly starve to death… if you don't freeze first. Maybe you'll warp right into extreme heat of a supernova. Or the cold, endless vacuum of space. Whatever the case may be, you will be gone, oh perpetual thorn in my side. Never again to interfere in my plans."

The wormhole behind Sonic grew even larger. It soon began to create a vortex of wind that threatened to pull Sonic off his feet and suck him in. He ducked low trying to brace himself against the suction, grabbing at the edge of a panel in the floor. "You won't get away with this, Eggman!" he cried out defiantly.

"Oh poor, deluded Sonic. I already have," smiled the doctor, as he looked Sonic right in his eyes. "And once you're gone, there will be nothing and no one left to stand in my way. I'll conquer the entire world, and destroy all who stand in my way. My rule shall be uncontested. Your friends will suffer. They will either serve me as my roboticized minions, or they will die. And there will be _nothing_ you can do to stop me. Carry that agony with you to _oblivion_."

The vortex behind him became too much for Sonic to hold on. He slid along the floor towards it, his sneakers screeching on the metal floor. Until finally he could hold on no longer and was pulled off his feet, reaching out his hand desperately at the last familiar view he had, crying out as he was finally pulled into the dark void.

" _Noooooooooooo!_ "

Eggman turned his back to his old foe. A mad grin split across his face as an unbridled sense of triumph welled up inside him. Today marked a black day for all the denizens of Mobius, and the beginning of a glorious era of the Eggman Empire.

He had done it.

His hated enemy was gone.

He had won.

" _ **Farewell, Sonic the Hedgehog."**_


	2. The Other Side

=============================  
 **6:26 PM**  
 **Robotropolis Citadel: Command Center**  
=============================

Eggman's deranged laughter echoed across the walls of his fortress. He'd done it. At long last he'd finally done it. His decades-long nemesis Sonic the Hedgehog was gone. Whisked away through an endless void in space. Now, there was nothing that could stand in his way. The world was now his for the taking. When his laughter finally subsided, the doctor quickly stepped towards the main control panel and clicked a few buttons. The force field deactivated with a quick hiss. Edges of metal rose up around him as his Egg Mobile lifted him into the air. With another press of a button, he sent a command out over the audio.

"All Badniks, assemble to fleet stations! We move to take Metropolis immediately!"

Shutting off the signal, Eggman reveled in his victory. Grasping a fist as an intensely wicked grin broke across his face. His conquest of Mobius would finally begin.

"Today Sonic, tomorrow the world!"

Eggman was so swept up in the joy of his victory, he almost failed to notice the sound of static crackling behind him. Turning, the glory the doctor reveled in quickly turned to frightened alarm. The miniature black hole that had spirited away his arch enemy had not disappeared. It still hung in midair, pulsing and sparking with energy. The control panel suddenly flashed red as an electronic voice from the computer sounded.

"WARNING! WARNING! OVERLOAD IMMINENT! ENERGY CONTAINMENT BREACH!"

The Emeralds shone brightly within their casing, as the malfunctioning device emitted yellow sparks of electricity. The power too great for them to contain, the glass starting to crack. The Egg Mobile's propulsion systems started giving in to the vortex's suction, the floating pod and its driver slowly being sucked towards the wormhole.

"What?!"

Wide eyed, Eggman rapidly hit buttons trying to shut down the process. His pod drifted ever closer to the powerful vacuum. But there was just too much energy to stop it now. Much like Sonic before him, he and his Egg Mobile were pulled headlong into the void.

" _Nooooooooooo!_ "

Both hero and villain were now sucked away to parts unknown. And as the room shook and metal pieces tore from the floor and walls and flew off into the growing wormhole, all of Mobius could be next.

=======================  
 **6:30 PM**  
 **Robotropolis: At the city's edge**  
=======================

The Robotropolis citadel imploded. The tower was simply pulled in on itself with great force. Steel cables and bolted beams were ripped and crushed like tinfoil as the growing black vacuum absorbed them, drawing in all matter caught in its ever increasing gravitational pull. The wormhole slowly engulfed the head-shaped command bridge, then half of the entire citadel. Soon buildings and rubble of the city itself began tearing out of the ground, being sucked into oblivion by the out of control tear in space. The reverberations from the gravitational anomaly could be felt throughout the entire city as the black hole pulsed and crackled with energy.

From a distant ledge overlooking Robotropolis, a figure that had arrived mere moments ago watched as half the city was torn asunder and sucked away. And the impulsive hedgehog that had taken off ahead of everyone was nowhere to be seen. He spoke lowly to himself in a soft breath:

"Sonic, what have you gotten yourself into this time..?"

Suddenly the giant hole pulsed and warped, ceasing to grow any larger. For a few uncertain moments it remained its current, yet still enormous size. Then the wormhole began to shrink. Metal scraps and slabs of earth from the steel city around it fell from midair as the gravitational pull on them weakened. The rift was closing.

The figure's left hand flexed briefly, hesitating as if a crucial decision had to be made in the next split second. Ultimately he clenched his first. His objective was clear.

A yellow streak tore through the city as he headed straight for the warp which was now less than half its original size. The closer he got, the smaller the tear seemed to shrink. By time he got within ten meters it was barely six feet tall, and closing fast.

He might not make it…

He put all his leg strength into a leap to propel himself forward, stretched out towards the now three foot hole, and…

 _Foop!_ His body disappeared through the hole right before it closed.

=====================================  
 **6:40 PM**  
 **Ponyville Outskirts: Rainbow Dash's Cloudominium**  
=====================================

Rainbow Dash lay stretched out on a cloud overlooking the small town of Ponyville. Yet another day had come and gone, and the regular bustle of the residents died down into the evening. The athletic Pegasus laid on her belly and stretched out her wings as she thought about the events she had been through recently.

Just a few short days ago, tailing Spike on his "quest of self-discovery" had led to a crazy adventure through the dragon lands. Along with Twilight and Rarity, the journey had taken them all the way to some volcanic spot in the mountains. They'd seen their friend put through weird initiations by a group of teenage dragons that made the place their hangout spot during the migration. In the end they had rescued their friend from the drakes, barely managing to escape. It sure was a crazy time. But in the days that followed Rainbow Dash found herself looking back on the whole excursion with a strange sense of longing. In hindsight, it had been a breath of excitement for the young mare. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she found herself craving exciting outings like the one they had.

She let out a breathy sigh looking out over the horizon at Celestia's setting sun. For some reason she couldn't quite put her hoof one, Rainbow Dash had felt a growing sense of apathy within her in recent weeks. She never exhibited these feelings in front of other ponies of course, keeping them concealed behind her usual bravado. Only in her most private moments like these was she unable to distract herself. Lately life seemed a little… boring. Repetitive. That big word Twilight used the other day that started with an 'm'. As she lounged there on the tuft of cloud, Rainbow Dash couldn't help but think that there was something… missing from her life. I mean, sure she hadn't done too shabby for herself. One of the best flyers in all Equestria. A national hero. All with six of the best friends a mare could ask for? Nothing to sniff at, for sure.

But Rainbow Dash couldn't deny she wanted more in her life. She needed speed. Adventure. Unpredictability! It was the whole reason she wanted to join the Wonderbolts. So she could fly with the best, be recognized as the best, and satiate her thirst for something bigger. Something beyond the ordinary life most ponies enjoyed.

And right now, it didn't seem like she was any closer to achieving it. What did she even do all day when she wasn't flying and napping? Push around clouds while waiting for her lifelong dream of joining the Wonderbolts to finally come true? Even when it came to that, the dream to which she placed all her hopes and aspirations, the average days waiting for it seemed to just drag on sometimes.

This couldn't be all she was meant for… could it?

Sure, she and her friends were called on to save the day more than once now. But Rainbow Dash still felt like she needed more. Sighing again, she looked up towards the darkening sky, trying to push the thoughts out of her head. Luna's twinkling stars were getting a little clearer by now.

Maybe she could talk to Twilight about it tomorrow. She was smart, she could probably help her sort this all out.

================  
 **6:41 PM**  
 **Golden Oaks Library**  
================

A sweeping broom scratched back and forth across the wooden floor as Spike went about tidying up the library. He never thought he would be so happy to be back doing chores for Twilight. After getting pushed around and mocked for half a day by a bunch of teenage dragons, gaining their acceptance via belly flop into lava, and dramatically escaping them after refusing to smash a phoenix egg, Spike had had more than enough adventure for quite a while.

And the cyan Pegasus just outside of town wasn't the only one whose mind kept going back to their little excursion.

Ever since he stormed off from the trench leaving the girls behind, Spike began to see just how little he knew about his own species. And in some ways, how he didn't even know _himself_. This identity crisis had lead him to seek out others of his kind. And when it was all said and done… he hadn't liked what he'd seen…

"Spike!"

Twilight's voice called him from his daydream, his head snapping up.

"Huh? Y-Yeah, what is it Twilight?"

The purple unicorn entered down the stairs carrying a yellow-covered book. Her typical busy-bee expression plastered plainly on her face.

"Have you finished the floor? Make another note for tomorrow's checklist to stop by Pinkie Pie. I have to return her recipe book for lemon loaf lattice. You _know_ how she is about having her things back on time!" she said, gesturing her hoof excitedly before pacing over to a nearby shelf to scan for her scroll.

Spike just groaned under his breath. Same old Twilight.

"Yeah, sure…"

Her young ward's tone didn't escape her notice. Turning her head she came back over to him, her face now mixed with concern.

"Spike? Is something wrong?" She placed a hoof on his shoulder. "If there's something bothering you, you know you can talk about it."

The young dragon sighed. "I dunno Twilight… it's just… well…" he began, looking up at her. "When I left to go find out more about myself... to see what it really meant to be a dragon, I thought I'd find something big and important when I got there! I thought other dragons would be… I don't know, that they'd have something grander to them, you know? I thought they'd be proud, majestic, _noble_. But all I found was… a bunch of jerks and bullies? Is… is that really all there is to my kind?"

He drew in on himself and hung his head, sitting and curling his arms around his legs. "I wanted to be more than a _lame_ dragon… but I didn't think the only other option was a _cruel_ one…"

Twilight looked at her ward with a saddened and remorseful look. Her ears drooped against her head, as for once, she felt powerless to do much. The origin of her young assistant was one aspect of him not even she could answer, let alone fully understand. A pang of guilt overtook her when he said "lame dragon." This was her fault as well. She was forced to admit to herself during that journey that she and the others pushed him to this with their teasing. That weighed on her heart ever since then. She should have known better. Of course he would be sensitive about such a topic. And she let her friends egg him on to the point that he left them behind. Her ward, her assistant, her oldest friend… and she failed to support him like she should have. And almost lost him for it.

"Spike…"

Twilight sat down while folding her legs beneath her, touching her side to his back and gently leaning her head against his.

"I don't know… I only wish I had the answers you're looking for. But, what I do know is that you don't have to be defined by the rest of the dragons. What you found might not have been… ideal. But what you are doesn't have to determine who you are. You're your _own_ dragon. _What_ you are doesn't determine _who_ you are. You're who you choose to be. No matter what you saw from those other jerky dragons."

The little dragon's eyes remained downcast while she spoke, her words rolling around in his mind. Eventually the pistachio colored orbs flickered back to her and he smiled gratefully, his spirits somewhat brightened.

"Thanks Twilight. I needed that."

"Of course, Spike," she said with her own smile, nuzzling him. "Hey, I know! How about I make us some hot cocoa and we can read another one of your comics together?"

Spike's face instantly changed to a bright smile.

"Alright! I can show you the brand new Renewal series, updating the origin story of Fili-Second!"

Twilight chuckled at his nerdish rambling and trotted off to the shelf on the opposite side of the library. As Twilight left, Spike briefly returned to his own thoughts. In spite of her attempt to cheer him up, Spike couldn't help but feel a little unsatisfied with her answer. It seemed too… dismissive of other dragons. Surely those rowdy teenagers and the aggressive brute he'd encountered in the Everfree Forest couldn't be _all_ there was to his species… could it?

Spike had no idea. But then and there, he made a silent promise to himself. To carry himself with decency, integrity, and honor. He would never let himself be overcome with greed or selfish abandon like what he saw. He would his own personal code of being duty-bound and chivalrous, holding himself up as an exemplary dragon. His own "dragon code."

If there were no other better dragons, then he would _be_ a better dragon.

=============  
 **6:46 PM**  
 **Canterlot Castle**  
=============

A small blue jolt sparked in midair above the royal castle in Canterlot. Then another. Then another. The sparks grew larger and converged until a small mass of crackling blue bolts hung in the middle of the air. Soon the sparks of blue lightning soon generated into mass of twisting electric energy. The air around the sparking mass distorted, rippling like a disturbed surface of water. As if gravity and space itself was being bent and contorted by some mysterious force. Then an indescribable sound of pulsing energy as a small black hole suddenly opened expanded from the generated lightning. The hole grew bigger, widening into a large circular void hanging horizontally in the royal castle's air space.

================  
 **6:47 PM**  
 **Golden Oaks Library**  
================

"Twilight? Did you… feel something?" Spike said, his ears flickering and head lifting as a strange vibration rolled down his spine.

"Hm? What do you mean, Spike?" The unicorn looked over with a puzzled expression. "Feel what?"

"Mmm… nothing. Probably just my imagination. Now where's that hot cocoa again?" he asked gleefully.

Twilight chuckled. "Coming right up, Number One Assistant."

=====================================  
 **6:47**  
 **Ponyville Outskirts: Rainbow Dash's Cloudominium**  
=====================================

A strong gust of wind blew through Rainbow Dash's mane.

"Huh?"

Her ears perked up and she raised her head. The gust seemed to come from nowhere, and she could have sworn she felt some kind of vibration crawl down her back. She turned her head in the direction it came from: east, towards Canterlot Castle. That's when her keen eyes glimpsed some strange blue lights coming from Canterlot. She squinted her eyes and peered out towards the royal castle.

"What's that?"

=============  
 **6:47 PM**  
 **Canterlot Castle**  
=============

There was a sound. Faint at first, that grew louder and louder by the second.

"…aaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

A blue screaming mass came plummeting out of the wormhole. Sonic could do nothing to stop himself as he plummeted through the air. It was a long drop from midway in the sky to the ground. With his body turning and his arms flailing and spinning in circles, he could only watch the ground get closer and closer until-

 _ **SLAM!**_ The hedgehog landed face first in the ground. His body and legs jerked still behind him for a few seconds upon impact, creating the comedic image of him nearly completely upside down with his face in the dirt. Another second and the rest of him would collapse onto the ground too. Picking his face out of the ground and pushing himself up to his knees, Sonic held his head with a pained groan.

"Augh… why is it always the face..?"

He picked himself up off the ground, still rubbing his head and trying to shake the cobwebs from his dazed vision. Suddenly a bright light shined onto him, impairing his still recovering sight. Grimacing he held out his palm to shield his eyes, attempting to get his bearings.

"Ah! Hey, shut that off, would ya?"

When Sonic could finally open his eyes, they immediately widened, for a very unfriendly sight greeted him. He was surrounded by what appeared to be eight white miniature horses, slightly taller than he was, wearing gold plated armor. Strangely enough they also had wings on their backs. A fact that Sonic would be more focused on if not for the very stern glares they were all directing towards him. And the long, sharpened spears about half of them were carrying.

After another moment of warily glancing around at them, he noticed that source of light was coming from somewhere above him. Looking up, he was greeted by the sight of another horse creature, flapping a pair of large wings and casting light down on him from a horn on top of her head. This one was much larger than the soldier looking ones surrounding him, with a dark blue coat and an ethereal mane that sparkled like the stars in the sky. The glare she directed at him made the looks the guards gave pale by comparison. Her voice exploded in a thunderous volume that made the nearby windows reverberate from its force.

" **HALT, INTRUDER!"**

Sonic got the feeling he was going to be in for a long night.


	3. Castle Escape

=======================  
 _ **Canterlot Castle: Luna's Tower**_  
 _ **Five minutes ago**_  
=======================

 _"_ _...in... ce... una?"_  
 _"...rincess Luna?"_  
 _"Princess Luna!"_

"H-Huh?"

Cyan eyes fluttered open as the Princess of the Night was abruptly roused from here trance. The blue aura around her horn vanished, the spell that allowed her to walk through the dream world ceasing as the physical realm came back into existence around her. She shook her head for a moment to clear her sight, the interruption of her spell leaving cobwebs in her vision akin to suddenly being roused from sleep. Shifting to her right, she looked over her shoulder to the white-coated pegasi guard behind her.

"For what reason have you disturbed me from my duties, corporal?"

He bowed swiftly as Luna addressed him.

"Pardon your highness. I wouldn't have done so if it weren't absolutely necessary. I don't know if you've noticed, but we have an emergency," he said hurriedly, pointing a hoof upwards in the opposite direction.

Luna quirked an eyebrow before turning her head up and out beyond her balcony. Her jaw promptly fell open at what she saw.

"What in Equestria..?"

A large, circular black rift stretched over the air, hanging just on the other side of the castle grounds. In hindsight, she couldn't believe she hadn't noticed this cosmic fluke of an anomaly sooner.

"Corporal... what is this?"

The guard could only shake his head. "No idea, your highness. It appeared out of nowhere just a few minutes ago. We've set up loose formations along the balconies, at a set distance from it. Don't want to risk anypony getting too close."

Another guard suddenly came galloping in through her chamber door. It was another pegasus stallion, this one with a tangelo coat, and a mane and tail colored in alternating shades of moderate blue. His deeper toned voice called for the diarch's attention.

"Your highness!" Skidding to a stop, he gave a short bow of his head and continued. "An intruder has been spotted on castle grounds! The east courtyard!"

Luna's eyes widened, a hushed gasp escaping her throat. That was where her sister's tower was. All traces of surprise disappeared from her face, her expression hardening into a ready, steely-eyed resolve. No harm would come to her sister. Not on her watch. She turned and pointed to the white pegasi guard.

"Take a squad and move to intercept, immediately! Block their escape and await my arrival. I shall join you momentarily. Have the rest of the patrols hold their positions along the scaffolds." As the white-furred guard bowed and left with haste, she turned her attention to the orange pegasus. "Sir Spearhead, hurry to the south district and alert your captain. Bring him quickly! I will take no chances with my sister's safety."

"Yes Princess Luna!" Spearhead responded. With a quick bow of his own he turned on his hooves and sprinted out to carry out her orders.

As they departed, Luna quickly stepped through the balcony door and back into her chamber. Letting out a deep breath to steady herself, she looked above to the shadowed ceiling.

"Umbra!"

Up above in the shadows, a pair of slit-pupil eyes opened up. Their jade glow stood out brightly against the darkness of the tower's ceiling. The body they belonged too motioned slightly, becoming clear enough to see the upside down form of a pony hanging from a horizontal beam by its tail. It suddenly dropped down from the roof, falling halfway to the floor before a pair of bat-like wings opened up from its back. The thin stretches of skin caught the air, slowing its descent until the figure touched gently to the ground.

A bat pony clad in a stylized form of Night Guard armor stood before Luna. Her coat was grayish violet, accented by an array of light greenish gray patterns. The green streaks splayed across her stomach, chest, neck, eyelids, ear tips, and even her muzzle. The flesh of her fingered wings were similarly green. Her blackish mane was accented by streaks of grayish azure and dark blue violet, and tied into a single bun. Several pointed strands sticking out the back, the mare's naturally spiky mane resisting the neat style. Unlike the standard Night Guards, her armor heavily resembled Luna herself with its shades of dark and vibrant blues. The chest piece was adorned by a solid white crescent moon. She bent a knee and bowed her head before before the younger diarch.

"My liege?"

Luna cast a serious eye down upon her own captain. "Gather your brother and a platoon of the Night Guard from the west tower. You and Night Flare set up a vantage point fifty yards beyond the castle grounds. Have the rest of the guards rendezvous with Captain Armor. I want extra precautions in place should this intruder prove troublesome."

The bat pony's eyes narrowed with fierce determination. She had no intention of failing. "At once, Princess." With another flap of her leathery wings she propelled herself off the ground, past Luna and through the doorway, soaring off into the evening sky.

With all orders given, Luna again walked out to the edge of her balcony overlooking the castle. Down below she could already see the group of guards making their way towards Celestia's tower. Stretching out her wings, she took to the air with a single wingbeat, lifting off the floor and gliding towards the opposite courtyard. No sooner did she take off did the mysterious warp begin to close. Soon it closed and faded out of existence altogether.

Luna's mind raced. What was this strange phenomenon? And how exactly did it relate to this intruder? Whatever it was, she intended to find out.

By the time she arrived in the east courtyard's airspace, she found a group of gold-clad guards moving in on the foot of the tower, all their sights honed straight ahead. Directing her eyes to their line of vision, she could make out an odd looking life form just ahead of the group. Her horn glowed as she activated a spell, casting an illuminating beam almost like a spotlight down on the intruder for a better look. Upon doing so, her eyes widened for the umpteenth time in this short evening.

It was some kind of anthropomorphic creature. Blue furred with quills on its head, with peach colored arms and belly and a thin black nose. From where she could see it also wore shoes and a pair of white gloves, raising one of its covered hands to shield its eyes from her light. In all Luna's years, it still had to be one of the strangest creatures she had ever seen. Her eyes narrowed, scrutinizing the odd mammal as she lowered herself down. Intending to take immediate control of the situation, she bellowed in her now rarely used royal Canterlot voice.

" **HALT, INTRUDER!"**

======================  
 _ **Canterlot Castle: Inner Ward**_  
 _ **Now**_  
======================

Now the Princess of the Night glared down the strange two-legged creature with a piercing look, each beat of her dark wings descending her lower, like a dark angel summoned down to deliver judgment. She landed gracefully and folded her wings closed, her gaze as cold and unabiding as the black of a starless night sky. This thing, whatever it was, was not only the likely cause behind that unnatural surge of power that had split the sky, but burst unexpectedly into Celestia's courtyard. While it hadn't made any aggressive moves as of now, it was still no doubt connected to the evening's strange event. And if this thing endangered her ponies or her sister in anyway, she would offer no reprieve.

"I know not what you are or what you are doing here creature, but I have questions for you. As I imagine my sister will when she awakens. Come quietly, and I will ensure you will be treated with at least _some_ modicum of respect." She snapped her wings out horizontally from her body to signal to the guards, who fanned out to her sides and stepped towards him.

Sonic looked on a bit anxiously, flexing his fingers in tension. The look the princess was giving him right now made his skin crawl. _'_ _Yikes, if looks could kill... doubt I'm gonna catch any kind of a break from miss sourpuss there.'_ So he looked to the guards as they got closer.

"Come on, guys. Can't we talk about this like reasonable– ...er, mammals?" he said to the approaching pegasi.

One on the left end raised an eyebrow. The pair in the middle glanced at each other for a moment in brief contemplation. But it didn't last and they hardened their eyes on him again, continuing their march towards the hedgehog.

Sonic shrugged. "Eh, worth a shot."

 _ZOOM!_ In the next moment the hedgehog was a speeding blue bullet rocketing towards the line of approaching guards. In the second they took to register his movements he was already a single step in front of one in the middle, jumping and narrowly front flipping over the armored pony.

When his feet hit the ground just a few feet from Luna, he dropped his body low and slid across the ground. Using his left hand for balance, he skid on the soles of his feet and his palm. Luna's previously hard gaze widened from shock, only reacting enough to look downward as the blue hedgehog slid towards her. In that split second the two locked eyes, the hedgehog looking up at her with a cocksure smirk. He tapped his right and middle finger on his forehead, giving her a cheeky two-fingered salute before he disappeared from view underneath her, zooming between alicorn's legs and off into the distance with a gust of wind.

The startling speed of what had just occurred and the blast of air between her legs caused Luna to let out a surprised whinny, her folded wings snapping up involuntarily. Her ethereal mane and tail blew roughly from the air current the alien's dash created. Surprise and embarrassment quickly turned into righteous fury as the dream walking princess turned on her heel, her teeth grit in a scowl with a hint of dusty red staining the dark blue fur of her cheeks.

"AFTER HIM!"

The guards galloped after the escaping hedgehog. As they dashed past her and down the pathway out of the courtyard, Luna's eyes narrowed as she pondered what had just transpired before her. One minute she had had this mysterious intruder surrounded, and in the next he was long gone. He'd slipped right past her and the guards in the blink of an eye. Made it look easy.

 _'_ _I never imagined this being could be so..._ _ **fast.**_ _They will never catch him at this rate. Let us hope my contingency fairs better...'_

Then with a flap of her wings she took to the air to pursue.

* * *

Sonic shot through the streets of Canterlot, his feet spinning underneath him as he looked from side to side at the city around him.

 _'_ _I'm definitely not in Kansas anymore...'_

The situation didn't look good for the blue hero. He was alone, and judging from that earlier snafu, in unfriendly territory. First priority had to be getting out of here and getting out of here fast. Unfortunately for Sonic, he was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't notice the faint whistling of something flying through the air.

Suddenly, and without warning, something snared around his ankles mid stride. "Whoa!" He tumbled face first into the ground, rolling head over heels for a few feet before eventually grinding to a stop. Groaning he put a palm to his head and looked down toward his feet. Thin black cord and rounded metal balls of a bolas had wrapped tightly around his legs. Strangely, the opposite end of the typically throwing weapon's cord was attached to the upper shaft of an arrow.

"I'd stay still if I were you," said a voice to his right.

Turning his head Sonic saw yet another hovering in mid air a few meters away. A male from the sound of him. He had a moderate cerise coat, with a black mane and tail highlighted with orange ends. His hair looked a little spikier than the few he'd seen, but it was a little hard to tell from the dark purple jacket that he wore, the hood up and covering his head. His left hoof held a bow, a quiver strapped to his right side by his flank. He smirked at his seemingly subdued quarry.

"Gotta say, you're pretty quick on your feet." The pegasus tilted his head, looking over the downed hedgehog with an inquisitive look. "...For an overgrown rodent." He raised his bow, gesturing to the hedgehog's tied feet. "Like the trick arrows? Made 'em myself. Come in real handy bagging ne'er do wells like you." Then he gave an upwards nod directed somewhere behind Sonic.

"He's all yours, sis."

An impact tremor of something landing on the ground suddenly came from behind the speedy Mobian. His head craned up as he took in the sight of the dark colored mare that had just dropped down. She spread her bat-like wings out wide and high in an intimidating manner as she stepped towards Sonic. Her right forehoof reached over her chest and drew the saber from the sheath that hung on her left side. Not once did she break eye contact with Sonic, her jade eyes zoned in on him a look so intense it made him gulp.

 _'_ _Man, are_ _ **all**_ _the horse girls around here so scary?'_

The mare stopped about two feet from where he lay. She held her saber aloft with a bend in her leg, pointing the curve of the blade at him. "You'll be coming with us, creature." Then she cast a stink eye up towards the other pony. "And why aren't you in uniform, Night Flare?"

Night Flare as he was apparently called cracked a little smile. "You mean that clunky, gap-filled armor? I wasn't really feelin' it." When he saw Umbra's glare harden, he rolled his eyes. "Oh, gimme a break, sis. I grew up in Somnambula way before your batty behind came along, remember? It's cold up here for a southerner. And that armor isn't exactly doing any favors. So how 'bout you cut me some slack, Captain Bossy?" He replied, his nonchalant manner clearly agitating the mare even further.

"Luna, preserve me..."

Sonic softly chuckled at the two siblings' bickering. "Trouble at home?"

His smile quickly disappeared when the tip of Umbra's blade pointed in his face.

"Eesh, tough crowd..." he said, sweat dropping. Nothing quite like the business end of a saber in front of your nose to kill the mood.

"Keep your thoughts to yourself, _rat._ " The bat pony's slit jade eyes burned on him with a withering glare. "You have invaded the royal palace and caused havoc among our ranks. The princess will have questions for you. And until they're answered, the only place you're going to be is in a cell."

Sonic crinkled his brow at that comment, slowly lowering his palms to the ground on either side of his body. He always got annoyed when people called him that. Ever since that one jerky genie in that story book.

"I'd listen to her if I were you." Came another glib comment from Night Flare. "Make her mad and she just might feast on your blood."

A tick mark popped on Umbra's forehead, turning her attention away from Sonic to glare back up at him. "So help me Night Flare, keep your big mouth shut or I will personally throw you in the dungeon with him!"

And there was Sonic's door. The arrow guy may have gotten his legs tied up, but he was far from useless. With a sudden push to lift himself off the ground and a twist, he spun his lower body around and lashed out with his legs. The strike caught the distracted Night Guard captain by surprise, kicking the sword up out of her hoof and eliciting a surprised draw of breath from the bat pony.

"Sorry, I don't do bars and chains. Not even after the second or _third_ date," he responded in his typical cheeky tone.

And he wasn't done yet. Even though his legs were bound, he could still move most of his body. He pivoted his spin on his right hand till he was in just the right position, then let himself drop forward to tuck into a spin dash.

Umbra's eyes were wide with shock. But there was no time, the barely foot of distance between her and the target too short for her to defend herself or escape. In the blink of an eye, the spinning blue ball that was her target collided with her armored chest. The impact sent her flying backwards into a wall of shrubbery. All sight of her was lost in the cracking and bending of the green branches. The back of her head struck hard against a particularly thick branch, bouncing off the back of her helmet and knocking her almost unconscious.

Rebounding out of his spin, Sonic uncurled to land on his butt. A metallic 'thunk' to his right made him glance over. The bat pony's saber had finished its return trip and had embedded itself in the ground right next to him. Out of the corner of his eye he caught something moving, looking up just in time to see Night Flare – no longer smiling and with another arrow pulled back in his bow, ready to loose. Sonic's eyes went wide with alarm. As the pegasus released his bowstring and the arrow whistled through the air, he reached for the closest thing he could find: Umbra's sword. Grasping the hilt with his right hand, he turned and brandished the brandished with the flat of the blade against his palm.

 _Ting!_ The pointed arrowhead bounced off the blade from his successful block.

"Whew! Talk about getting the point."

Sonic smirked up at the archer, the grimace on the pony's face showing annoyance at his failed shot, along with a hint of vengeful anger for his KO'd sister. The Mobian cut the wires around his legs and kipped up to his feet, dropping the sword. He ducked as two more arrows whizzed over his head, before whooshing off the way he was headed before the flying furry roadblocks showed up. Glancing to his right, he was pleasantly surprised to see the hooded pegasus matching his speed in the distance, smirking.

"Well, well. Pretty quick for a flying donkey," said Sonic, returning Night Flare's earlier taunt back at him.

The pegasus chuckled. "Glad you approve. I do aim to please."

The pegasus performed a sudden aerial twist, turning left and rolling in place like a barrel. Maneuvering himself behind Sonic so that the two were lined up perfectly. He pulled a trio of arrows back in his bowstring, their arrowheads giving off a faint purple shine.

"And speaking of aim..."

Then he fired, the trio of arrows whistling through the air towards their target. Sonic saw them coming out of the corner of his eye, and as a wide turn came up on the road. He sped flawlessly along the turn, his body leaning slightly to compensate and his fingers brushing along the brick of the adjacent building while he went. Thinking he'd cleared this volley as well, he looked back over his shoulder expecting to see the hooded pegasus still tailing him. Instead he was greeted by the trio of arrows still flying after him.

 _'_ _Heat-seeker arrows? That's a new one. But... how well can they follow along?'_

Looking ahead Sonic saw a set of neighboring buildings up ahead. Just what he needed. He decelerated headed straight for the row of structures, decelerating a little to bring the arrows in just a little closer. The side of the building was fast approaching, and the sharp projectiles were inching closer and closer to his back.

 _'_ _Almost there, and...'_

 _Whoop!_ Without missing a step caught the building's wall with his foot zoomed straight up the side.

"Hah! Eat my dust, arrow boy!"

He called out to the noticeably absent Night Flare. He caught the edge of the roof with his hand and flipped up over the edge. His previous jovial expression quickly turned into surprised alarm upon seeing the smirking Night Flare there waiting. His bow aimed perfectly at the midair hedgehog, the readied arrow tipped with some type of cylinder-shaped capsule.

"Eat _this,_ furball."

Night Flare's bowstring snapped as he released it and the arrow shot straight for Sonic. Sonic's eyes widened with a burst of panic. He couldn't dodge in mid air at this range. He could only watch as the odd looking cylinder tip briefly glowed purple–

 _BANG!_ The arrowhead exploded and Sonic's body was sent flying towards the rooftop behind him. He hit the tile roughly and skidded several feet along the rooftop. The pony hovered overhead with a satisfied smirk on his face, striking up more conversation.

"You know, I actually like the shoes. But the gloves are kinda tacky."

The slightly crispy hedgehog gingerly found his way back to his feet, brushing the dust off his arm. "Well that's a riot. Fashion advice from the guy wearing purple."

Night Flare frowned. "...It's indigo."

"What was that?" Sonic lifted up one hand to his ear and leaned his head towards him, sporting a snarky smile. "I can't hear you! Your purple is too loud!"

And then he had to make a quick swipe of his right hand to catch another arrow before it hit him in the face.

The annoyed pegasus pulled arrow after arrow from his quiver, firing them at the hedgehog in quick succession. He hovered right as he let them loose so his firing path was continually changing, keeping Sonic on his toes. The Blue Blur dodged them with relative ease, blurring in and out of sight around the roof, standing straight and confident with his arms crossed. Somersaulting backwards to another rooftop to dodge the next set of arrows, he gave a mocking gesture to Night Flare, sticking his tongue out and pulling his eyelid down at the pony.

After ducking another pair of arrows, Sonic revved up his feet to dash and leap off the roof and throw a high kick out at Night Flare.

But the pony just let his body sprawl back and flapped his wings to propel himself down. Sonic went sailing over him, missing the kick. As he landed on the adjacent rooftop he swerved for a U-turn, two more arrows piercing the tile behind him as he ran back around. Racing towards the edge and jumping off, he curled up and launched himself towards Night Flare for a homing attack.

The distance Night Flare maintained between them however was enough to compensate for the Mobian's speed. As the blue ball of spikes streaked towards him he already had another explosive arrow drawn back, losing it right towards the homing hedgehog, and once again resulting in a small explosion that sent him crashing to the roof.

"You're gonna have to do better than that!"

He cried out, pulling back and firing another shot at Sonic as he was about to land on the opposite roof.

Sonic quickly rolled to his left to avoid the incoming arrow. Kipping up, looking out at his opponent with a half frown. _'Eh, this is no good. I'm too far away. He's got all the space he needs to dodge anything I throw at him.'_

He glanced around, spotting a hatch door formation sticking up out of the flat of one rooftop just a few buildings over. That gave him an idea.

 _'_ _Hm, let's see if I can take a page out of fly boy's book.'_

Smirking, he shot off towards the distant rooftop, hopping over the gaps between houses while Night Flare gave chase. Lining himself up behind Sonic for a straight shot, he pulled another explosive arrow back and took aim. This one would have some extra **oomph** to it. More than enough to put the blue furball down for the count, or so he was counting on.

"Now when I called you a rodent, I wasn't implying that you're a hairy, smelly, ugly-"

Just as he fired the arrow, Sonic jumped and planted his bent feet on the side of the building, propelling himself off and back towards the pony. He caught the arrow right before it hit him, and threw it back at Night Flare with just as much force.

Night Flare's eyes briefly widened before the resulting explosion shook the nearby buildings. He was sent tumbling out of resulting smoke cloud, plummeting backwards and crashing through a window with a grunt. A pair of very girlish shrieks also came from the inside of the room.

Landing back on the ground, Sonic called up to the window with his palm at the side of his mouth. "Nice banter, kid! Try getting some skills to back it up!" And he shot off down the road, grinning with satisfaction at putting the pesky flier out of commission.

With his feet spinning underneath him and a dust cloud trailing behind him, the speeding hedgehog flew through Canterlot's streets. It wasn't long before he could see a wide hint of green in the distance. He smirked. The city's edge was drawing near. He was almost home free.

Until a rose colored laser shot at him from somewhere on his left. The surprised hedgehog jumped over the beam, screeching to a rough stop as he landed. The laser fired again, burning a long line in the concrete in front of him.

"Ugh, what now?"

Looking to his left, he saw another pony approaching. He was tall and broader than the others he'd seen so far, with white fur and blueish tones in his mane, as well as more visible blue hooves. He also wore another unique armor, purple and gold with a star-marked shield on the chest.

"You know, this whole 'pony challenger arcade' thing is gettin' real old, real fast," said the mildly nettled hedgehog.

The stallion just glowered at him. "You're not going anywhere, trespasser. You may have escaped all of the others, but you won't get past _me,_ " Shining Armor said threateningly, his horn alighting once more as he charged up another attack. "This is the end of the line, rat."

"That's _hedgehog,_ ya mook!"

Sonic revved his feet and zoomed in a loop as the unicorn shot a barrage of purple laser bolts at him. He jumped up to avoid a long laser and curled, shooting towards the pony in a blue streak of light with a homing attack.

Only to be stopped mid flight when a purple, bubble-like shield appeared between him and Shining Armor, stopping his attack. Sonic's spinning form ground against the magic barrier for a few seconds before his momentum bounced him off, up and over so that he landed behind the unicorn.

Sonic was beyond fed up with this now. Time to blow this place. "That's it, I'm outta here!" Ignoring Shining Armor, he bolted for the edge of the city.

 _BONK!_

And ran full speed straight into a nearly see-through wall.

Pulling his smooshed cheek of the surface, he groaned and put a hand to his face before looking up. It was an almost transparent barrier in the same color as that horse soldier's head beam. The sound of more hoofsteps behind him made him roll his head in frustration, turning around.

 _'_ _Speaking of whom...'_

The unicorn stood there, his horn glowing. The shield he had put up covered nearly the entire block, with both of them inside. And he wasn't alone. About a dozen more ponies with batty wings and dark armor began landing in rows at the unicorn's side.

 _'_ _Great, the cavalry's here. Anything else they wanna throw at me?'_

His thoughts were answered when a familiar form dropped heavily in front of Shining Armor. It was the bat pony from earlier. And she did _**not**_ look happy in the slightest. Her lips were curled in a snarl and her eyes glared atomic explosions at the Mobian.

 _'_ _Sorry I asked...'_

As a fresh bead of sweat ran down his forehead, Sonic took a half step back, looking all around his bubble shaped prison. No way in, no way out. The thing covered the entire street.

 _Wait... just street? I wonder then..._ His inner monologue was interrupted when the tall white unicorn stepped forward to speak again.

"This is your last chance, stranger. Now give yourself up before you get hurt."

Umbra on the other hand was in no more mood for warnings. "To _**Tarturus**_ with that. He had his chance." Venom dripped from her voice as she drew her sword and flourished it, about to signal the other bat-winged stallions to move in.

Sonic backed up just a little bit more. He could feel the cool of the barrier against his fingers. Well, no time like the present to test his little theory. He looked at Shining Armor.

"Nice purple party piece, Private Pointy Head. But here's a tip." He jumped up into the air. "Next time you learn how to make a fancy shield..." He curled and spun rapidly, dropping back down. To the surprise of everypony, his body pierced into the ground upon coming back down, burrowing into it. Only to pop out on the other side of the barrier moments later. "...make sure it covers _all_ your blind spots!"

While the rest of the ponies stood surprised, Umbra reacted first, turning to shout at Shining Armor. "DROP THE SHIELD!"

But it was too late. Sonic wagged his finger at the crowd of ponies before taking a hunched runner's stance. "Well it's been fun, but I've gotta dash! Toodles!"

And in a flash he was gone, whooshing off away from the city and leaving the flabbergasted ponies in his dust.

The purple wall of Shining Armor's spell finished falling as he galloped a few feeble meters after the escaping hedgehog. But he quickly realized that it was pointless, stamping his hoof to the ground with a frustrated exclamation. He watched the last of the dust cloud fade away, his lip pursed and his teeth grit as he hung his head. Irritation and shame burned in his gut.

The other members of the Royal Guard displayed similar looks of shock, and disappointment. But none of them matched the utter outrage on Umbra's face. A low growl emanated from the back of her throat, her teeth bared and grinding together. She turned back and pointed her blade at the rest of the patrol.

"All Night Guards form up! I want a search party ready five minutes ago! We're going after that thing!"

"Belay that order."

The ponies quickly turned their attention upwards towards the familiar voice. Luna came down and landed before Umbra, prompting her to sheath her saber and bow her head low. Her ears flattened against her head, wholly ashamed of her failure.

"Forgive me, princess... I failed you... please, let me pursue! I insist! I'll take a twelve-pony squad and–"

The dark blue alicorn simply raised a hoof to quiet her. "At ease, Captain Umbra. Send the guards back to their posts." She looked over her shoulder at Shining Armor. "As you were, Captain Armor."

The unicorn blinked in slight surprise, shocked to see her taking this failure so well. Umbra on the other hand was more vocal in her discontent, looking to the diarch with a confused expression.

"But princess! What about the intruder?"

"That is not your burden anymore, Captain Umbra."

As the guards dispersed she walked back down the road. Umbra came up beside her, matching the moon goddess's pace. "...Are we just giving up, your majesty?"

"Adapting, dear Umbra." The dream walker's cyan eyes narrowed in contemplation. "Whatever this... strange creature is, it possesses unique speed and abilities. We must match him in kind."

"Your highness..?" Umbra furrowed her brow, not quite understanding.

Luna stopped for a moment, gazing out past the city in which the hedgehog had run. "Bring me a scroll, Umbra."

* * *

Sonic looked back over his shoulder as he made tracks away from the city. It didn't look like any of those pastel horses were following him. Though he doubted any of them could keep up if he really tried. Feeling he was finally in the clear, he looked around to take in more of his surroundings. He was currently heading down the path of a mountain. In the distance were deep forests, towering mountains, and green pastures as far as the eye could see. But it was nothing like Mobius. Leading the hyperactive hedgehog to oh so poignantly voice the entirety of his thought process in one, simple question:

"Where in the cosmos _am_ I?"

====================  
 **7:06 PM**  
 **Wonderbolt Headquarters**  
====================

Galloping hoofsteps clopped loudly across the tiled floor. A pegasus mare with bushy dark blue hair, green eyes and a whitish coat bolted through the hallway. A rolled up scroll was clenched in her teeth. High Winds rushed towards the captain's office as fast as her hooves could carry her. There was a 'Urgent' labeled message straight from Canterlot, emblazoned with Princess Luna's mark. She had to get it delivered as fast as possible.

She finally reached her destination, throwing the door opened and jutting to a halt inside the room. The scroll fell from her mouth as she gasped, breathing heavily to get much needed oxygen back into her lungs.

"Whew... whew... Spi... S-Spitfi..."

The chair on the other side of the desk, which had been facing away from her, slowly turned around. There in it, wearing her medal-adorned jacket and typical dark shades, sat Spitfire – Captain of the Wonderbolts.

Before High Winds could sputter on, she raised a hoof to stop her. She pointed to the white mare's left at a set of water bottles. High Winds grabbed one and opened it, drinking several big gulps of water. When she was finished she let out another big gasp, steadying her breath. The captain rested her elbows on the table, hooves together.

"You were saying?"

High Winds grabbed the scroll back up and approached the desk, extending the roll of paper forward. "Message from Canterlot! It's urgent!"

Raising an eyebrow, Spitfire reached over the desk with her wing and took the scroll. Bringing it to her hooves, she unfurled it and read. As her eyes ran back and forth over the page, she pulled her sunglasses down an inch. When her eyes came to a stop, she placed the scroll firmly down on the table.

"Get the team ready. I want six of our best on the runway, _now._ "

"Yes ma'am!" And High Winds galloped off. Spitfire turned back around in her chair, standing up and trotting to the window. She gave a long look out into the evening sky beyond the academy, and an ardent smirk broke across her face.

"Today just got a lot more interesting."


	4. Catch Me If You Can

===========================  
 **7:12 PM**

 **Wonderbolt Headquarters: Barracks**  
===========================

Blue and yellow spandex pulled tightly around Spitfire's leg. The front zipper closed the tight uniform snugly against her chest, and her wings stretched out dynamically through the suit's two holes as she got dressed for the mission. She pulled her flight suit's mask over her head, shaking out her frizzy mane.

A knocking on the wall suddenly interrupted her concentration, along with a boyish voice calling her.

"Hey, boss?"

Spitfire didn't even need to turn around to know who it was, her expression barely changing.

"I thought I told High Winds to round up our best and await orders. What are you doing here, Soarin?"

The male pegasus just a few feet to her right entered, taking a few steps towards her.

"Oh, I got the order. I just thought there was something more important to check on first."

"Uh huh…" Spitfire mused, fishing her goggles out of her locker. A small smirk came to her face while she shuffled the headgear in her hoof. "You sure you actually got the message? Or are you just goofing off with nothing better to do 'cause she didn't pick you?" she said, a hint of teasing snark in her voice. "Maybe you'd be back at the top of your game if you'd lay off all the apple pies."

 _"_ _Spitfire."_

Soarin's serious tone finally gave her pause. She turned to face the pale blue stallion just as he put a hoof on her right shoulder.

"Seriously, what's going on? I don't think you've _ever_ ordered us to formation this late before. I know you work us all hard, but you're not a slave driver. Is something wrong?" he asked, a concerned expression on his face.

Spitfire couldn't help from softening. He was worried about her. Adorable. She offered a small smile and briefly rested her hoof against his foreleg to ease his worry.

"Trust me Soarin, it's nothing that we can't handle. I'll explain everything in a few minutes." That teasing smirk came back as she finished. "So don't go all mushy on me now, Clipper. I need you for this."

His worries dispelled, Soarin smiled back at his captain. "Just keeping you grounded, Cap'."

"Yeah, yeah. Now get to the runway, on the double!"

He gave a salute, still smiling. "Yes ma'am!"

Taking off out of the barracks, Spitfire was once again left alone with her thoughts. With her serious demeanor now brightened with a spark of assurance, she strapped her goggles on over her forehead. She let out a steady breath, readying herself.

"Let's get to it."

===============================  
 **7:18 PM**

 **Wonderbolt Headquarters: Runway**  
===============================

The gathered team of five pegasi were present on the grassy edge of the runway, all dressed in similar blue and yellow-striped uniforms. They either remained stationary on the grassy patch, or warmed up in place preparation for the mission ahead. One stallion with a bushy, brilliant orange and light brownish gray mane was doing wing push-ups. Another stallion with a fluffy, white and gray mane and a grayish coat was loosening up his wings. He'd extend one at a time and reach them over to the opposite side of his body, as far as they would go, alternating wings after a ten or so second stretch.

High Winds sat talking to another mare with a light arctic blue coat. Her whitish, partially-pointed mane's size and volume made any of the others look tame by comparison. A final mare stood a few away from the pair, this one with a pale, light grayish olive coat. Her mane was colored with alternating light brilliant and very pale arctic blue. Her forelegs were outstretched in front of her with her head lowered, her back legs straight and hindquarters reared up as she stretched her legs and glutes.

Soarin came gliding back to the group, catching the attention of High Winds and the blue mare. The latter of which paused her conversation to step out to greet him with a friendly smirk.

"Welcome back, Soar. Thought you weren't gonna make it for awhile there," she said, prodding a playful elbow into his side.

Soarin just chuckled. "Don't worry Flatfoot, I wouldn't leave you guys hangin'. Just checking on a friend is all."

Fleetfoot sniggered. "Sure, sure. As long as you've got your head in the game. Can't have you getting sidetracked out there."

Before they could continue talking, a loud shout rang out over the runway.

"ATTENTION!"

Faster than the blink of an eye, the six pegasi zipped into a straight line along the edge of the runway, standing up tall. Their captain had finally arrived on scene. The yellow pegasus marched across their view and turned to face them.

"Look alive, you pigeons! We have a situation! So listen up and listen good, 'cause I'm only gonna say this once!"

Her eyes gazed over the row of her faithful Bolts. Not a hint of waver or hesitation. Good.

"There's been an incident at Canterlot Castle. A strange blue creature appeared out of nowhere, right in the middle of the princess's courtyard. It engaged several of the guards before escaping."

Soft inhales of breath were heard from a few of the lined up pegasi.

"We have a report straight from Princess Luna herself. It was last seen heading east of Canterlot, directly towards Rambling Rock Ridge. Our orders are to to find this thing, whatever it is, and bring it in!" Her strong orange eyes narrowed. _"_ _By any means necessary."_

She scanned the faces of her fellow Wonderbolts as she continued.

"This mission will be extremely uncertain. We have next to no information on whatever it is that popped up on the grid in Canterlot. We don't know what it is, or where it comes from. The only thing we know for sure from the princess's report is it was quick enough to evade capture."

She paused, letting her crew take in that fact for a moment.

"That in mind, if anyone wants to back out, I understand. If you don't think you can handle whatever's waiting for us out there, just take one step back."

A sense of anxiousness hung over the six ponies. There was an unmistakable tone of daring to their captain's command. Almost a test. Which of them were brave enough to bite the bullet? But at the same time, the concern for the unusual nature of their mission was genuine. Would they rise to the challenge?

Soarin would be the one to take the lead. He stomped a hoof down and flexed out his wings assertively. There was no way he was going to chicken out and leave his team. He would see this through to whatever the way ahead would find.

His display appeared to give the others the inspiration they needed. Following Soarin's lead, the rest of the team snapped their wings out as well. A show of solidarity that drew a smile to their captain's face.

 _'_ _That's what I like to see.'_

She opened up her own wings and pulled her goggles down over her eyes.

"Let's ride!"

And with one powerful flap of her wings, Spitfire went rocketing up into the air, with her team following suit right behind her.

As her Wonderbolts moved into a V formation with her in the lead, Spitfire gave a subtle smile. The mystery and intrigue of what might be waiting for her sent small shivers of excitement down her spine. She licked her lips, focusing ahead.

"Time to go hunting."

===================  
 **7:47 PM**

 **Rambling Rock Ridge**  
====================

The evening wind whistled, blowing softly across the cliffs of Rambling Rock Ridge. With no civilization for miles in any direction, the gray cliffs of the rocky landscape were an exceptionally quiet place, and very bare, with almost no vegetation. The only thing of note as far as the eye could see was a single, moderately tall pine tree. Only sparsely covered in green needles, but with large, strong branches that grew out parallel from the pine's trunk.

It was on one of these wider branches that Sonic sat with an unsettled look on his face.

"Man, talk about a crazy Monday..."

The hedgehog tilted his head up, staring off into the starlit sky. Its differences from his own were obvious. The sky itself had more of a violet color to it. Even the moon looked different. He just continued to sit on the branch he'd been perched on for a good while now, letting his thoughts wander.

The adrenaline from the chaos back at the castle had worn off long ago, leaving him to ponder his current fate in silence. His usual, confident state of mind now colored with a blend of uncertainty as he mulled over everything that had happened in the last hour.

One moment he was facing off with Eggman, ready to thwart his evil plans like he always did, the next he was tumbling helplessly through time and space. And the trip had been far from a pleasant one. The unstable space inside that wormhole stretched and distorted his body like no one's business. It felt like the thing had nearly pulled him inside out along the way, right before he was unceremoniously dumped on his face.

Only to be greeted with an aggressive army of technicolor equine gunning for him mere seconds afterwards.

 _'_ _Huh… Eggman said that gizmo of his could make a tear in time and space. Just like last time. So, if the coloring book horses are anything to go by, it probably means... I've gone and landed in a totally different dimension! ...Again.'_

Except this time, Sonic realized, he was considerably worse off. He looked down at the ground in contemplation, seemingly realizing just how alone he was right now. He had no friends there to help or vouch for him. He had no idea where in whatever-this-place-was-called he was. And if that run in with the armored guards from earlier was anything to go by, he was already at the top of someone's most wanted list.

His eyes closed in contemplation, as one single vexing question reverberated through his thoughts:

 _'_ _How am I gonna get back home?'_

It seemed grim for the speedster. But his never-say-die attitude eventually shone its way back to the surface. He stood up on his tree branch, managing a smile as he looked out into the beyond. "Well, sitting around moping won't change anything. I'll work things out one way or another." Jumping down from the tree to the ground, Sonic looked out over the terrain. "Now, where to go from here?"

* * *

The Wonderbolts cruised through the darkened skies. They were just entering the airspace near Rambling Rock Ridge. They had kept only a moderate altitude so that they might spot anything on the ground on their way, but so far there hadn't been any sightings. Spitfire began giving the rest of them the rundown as they approached the ridge.

"Alright team, you know the drill! Branch out and cover the entire scope of the ridge! I want updates once the entire perimeter has been circled! Everyone else, leave no inch of the area unchecked! Keep your eyes peeled for the target!"

Misty Fly rolled her eyes, mumbling snidely to herself. "How are we even supposed to find anything out here in this dark?"

Spitfire turned to her left to look at her. "We've trained for night operations. A loop or two over the perimeter and back, and we'll have had enough time to adjust. Plus, if this thing is as fast as her highness says, then it should make a trail for us to follow if our flight spooks it. So buck up and keep your eyes peeled!"

Misty Fly wrinkled her nose and faced forward again, a few doubts still lingering in her mind, but resigning to the situation all the same.

Spitfire continued as the team drew closer to the target area. "Alright team, fan out! And radio in the second you spot anything!"

 _"_ _Yes ma'am!"_

The seven Wonderbolts split from their V-shaped pattern and slanted off in different directions, with Spitfire taking the direct route through the middle of the eroded structure. Each of them kept their heads on a swivel, scanning the landscape beneath them for any traces of the invader.

Minutes ticked away as the ponies scanned the ground for any traces of life. But there was no word so far. No sight of their mysterious intruder.

As Spitfire circled back over the base of the wide canyon, she couldn't help but think to herself that maybe Misty Fly had a point. Visibility was hardly the best at this time of night. It wasn't like whatever this creature was went around holding up a bright neon sign reading 'Here I am, come capture me!' And if he could freely move about, he might already be long gone from where Luna had estimated him to be. But the captain wasn't about to be deterred. She began planning the next steps of the operation to herself in her head.

 _'_ _If we strike out here, we'll just divide up into two groups. Spreading out further will help us cover more possible ground. We'll go in opposite directions from each half of the ravine and–'_

Her inner monologue was interrupted by Soarin's voice echoing through her radio earpiece.

"I have a visual! East side, far right! Just south of the tall tree!"

She looked over her right shoulder towards the long cliff. Her eyes followed the uneven slope of the ridge until she spotted the tree.

"Good eye, Clipper," she said with a small smile. "Everypony, regroup and prepare to go in for a landing!"

Spitfire made a U-turn and streaked back in the direction she had flown. It was time to meet this "mysterious blue creature" firsthoof.

"Now then, let's go say hello."

* * *

Sonic's left ear gave an involuntary twitch.

"Hm?"

He looked upwards as the faint sound of something almost like a jet drew his attention. Squinting his eyes, he could make out small flying shapes heading his way. Soon he could make them out as more of this place's resident horses.

"Looks like the second half of the welcoming committee." He folded his arms and waited for the latest group of horse inhabitants to make their arrival.

The flying ponies flew over him before looping with an upwards turn. They curved upside down and into a straight downward dive from right above him. With solid impacts the Wonderbolts landed one at a time in a ring around the hedgehog, surrounding him.

Sonic glanced around at his new flight suit-wearing pony pursuers, cracking an amused smile to himself at their fashion choice before addressing them.

"Evening, fellas. Do we have a problem here?"

"That depends," came the response from Spitfire, a clear tone of suspicion in her voice. She took a couple steps out from the rest of the team towards him, and lifted her goggles up onto her forehead so she could get a better look at the "mysterious creature," giving him a once-over.

He was every bit as strange looking as Luna had described. Spiked quills protruding from his head and back. Blue fur covering everywhere on its body except for his arms and a round peach spot that she assumed was his belly. His face featured a muzzle and a thin black nose. He was taller than Spitfire expected too. Taller than her, but still about an inch short of the average stallion. His legs and arms were very thin, sporting a pair of gloves and red and white buckled shoes, respectively. An odd specimen indeed.

"We're searching for some kind of rat-looking thing that invaded our capital of Canterlot, and threatened our troops, along with the princess. Stands on two legs. Blue. Looks like a walking pincushion. Heard of 'im?" she said sarcastically, her eyes full of hostility and mistrust.

Sonic's expression went flat. _'Really?_ _ **Canter**_ _lot? Man, I hope these kind of puns aren't gonna be a thing around here.'_

Naming qualms aside, he was again annoyed for someone calling him that for the umpteenth time since he got here.

 _"_ _Hedgehog._ Hedge-HOG. Seriously, have none of you bite-size horses ever seen a hedgehog before?"

Spitfire arched an eyebrow at his response, not looking very amused.

Sonic continued, raising a finger. "And for the record, it was less of an 'invasion', and more of 'I was just dumped here against my will.' You guys are the ones who went all SWAT team on me before I could even get my bearings," he said defensively.

"Likely story," said Spitfire, clearly not convinced. "I'd ask who you are and how you gave our royal guard so much trouble, but that's not my job. All you need to know is that we're here to bring you in. The Princesses can decide what they want to do with you after that."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "If you say so." He rested a fist on his hip and nonchalantly scratched his ear, looking rather uninterested overall. "So, who exactly are you Fantastic Four wannabes supposed to be?"

The yellow pegasus glared at his remark. "You're looking at the Wonderbolts, pincushion. The most elite flying team there is. So just make this easy and give yourself up. Otherwise, we'll have to rough you up."

The blue hedgehog raised an eyebrow, a little intrigued. A cheeky smile came to his face. "Elite flyers, huh? Sounds real impressive. You might actually scare me if you weren't dressed like an 80s rock band."

Spitfire's looked grew even more annoyed. The rest of the Wonderbolts also gave displeased frowns, insulted. All except for Soarin, who couldn't help from snickering at the hedgehog's banter, bringing a hoof over his mouth to stifle his laughter. Only when Fleetfoot gave him a subtle elbow jab to the ribs and an accompanying glare did he clear his throat and regain his composure.

"That smart mouth isn't help you now, hedgehog. There's no way you're gonna get away from us."

"Uh-huh..." Sonic glanced around in either direction. Then he noticed something off to the right: a broken off log just a few yards behind the white-haired Wonderbolt. Perfect.

To Spitfire and rest of them, it looked like he was just ignoring them, which only angered the captain further. Looking back at her team, she made a quick gesture towards Sonic with her head.

"Alright team, let's tag and bag him."

Silver Zoom was the first to try. "I've got him, captain!" Breaking formation, he burst off straight for Sonic, expecting an easy catch.

Oh, how mistaken he would be.

Without missing a beat, Sonic jumped up right before Silver Zoom could grab him, stepping on his back and using the momentum to propel himself up and over the row of ponies with a side flip. As the shocked pegasi looked on, he came back down and landed right on the log. The force of his landing dislodged the loosely placed piece of wood from its resting place, and he immediately started to slide down the the gravelly stone run.

He gave the Wonderbolts a mocking wave as he slid away.

"Thanks, but no thanks! I've had enough games of tag for one night. See ya later!"

Spitfire grit her teeth, whipping her head expectantly at the rest of the team. "Don't just stand there, after him!"

Snapping back to attention, the Wonderbolts took off after the escaping hedgehog. Their captain followed suite right behind them.

The chase was on.

Sonic balanced himself as his makeshift board slid rapidly down the slope of the ravine, the log creating a persistent rattling as the wood passed over the rocks and pebbles. Smirking with excitement, he drifted back and forth as he surfed down the ridge.

It wasn't long until he noticed the Wonderbolts gaining on him. Fire Streak zoned in from behind, a yard or two above him in the air, while Fleetfoot came in on his left. Sonic glanced at the approaching blue mare, returning her aggressive look with a competitive smile.

"Ooh! Sorta-fast flying ponies. Almost looks like a challenge."

Apparently further incensed by his taunting, she suddenly swiped right with every intent of knocking the him from his log. But Sonic was quicker, jumping sideways and off the log to avoid her.

 _"_ _Almost."_

As the piece of a broken tree tumbled away behind him, he hit the ground running, matching his previous sliding pace for a few moments before accelerating ahead down the mountain.

The Wonderbolts responded in kind, boosting after him, determined not to lose their target. Reactions to his alleged quickness first hand ranged from annoyance to mild surprise for most of them.

"Huh. Pretty fast for a little guy," Soarin remarked.

Spitfire called out another order to the group. "Stay focused! Keep formation and don't let him out of your sights!"

Up ahead, Sonic could see some obstacles coming up in his path in the form of rock formations: several free-standing peaks that jutted out from the mostly flat slide.

Spitfire could see them too, planning their next move out in her head. _'Those oughtta slow him down a bit. We can sweep in from the middle and the sides with the Delta maneuver, and take him down right now.'_

But of course, these would hardly prove to be obstacles for the Blue Blur.

Sonic revved up for another quick burst of speed. He zoomed towards the first rocky tower and leaped through the air, quickly bringing his palms out to quickly push off the top of the stone formation as he passed it over. Flying through the air, he spread his arms out and straightened his legs.

Another tall rock formation loomed in front of him as he shot forward. The hedgehog curled and rotated in mid air so that his feet faced the oncoming cliff, landing against it and pushing off so he bounded to the side of another jagged formation. Then another. And another. Sonic whizzed like a ricocheting blue pinball across the Wonderbolts' sight lines as he jumped from column to column.

His final leap saw him land back down on solid ground. He could make out large stone arch about twenty yards ahead, and closing fast. But seeing it only made him crack a bigger smile.

 _'_ _For me? Don't mind if I do!'_

Spitfire could only watch in surprise as her initial plan to surround the hedgehog was now shot. She and the rest of the Wonderbolts were in awe by what they'd seen so far. None of them had expected such a showing from the alien. His displays of speed and acrobatics were a spectacle to watch.

Luckily, she saw another roadblock up ahead. This part of the ravine was coming to an end. This half of the ridge only went for another thirty or so feet after the stone arch the hedgehog was headed towards. Then it turned into a cliff with a sheer drop down who knows how many feet to the bottom of the ridge. She called to the others again.

"Split half and half and get ready to come in from either side! He's got nowhere to go once his road ends! We'll corner him right as soon as... he… stops…?"

Spitfire's eyes slowly widened as she watched Sonic. He wasn't slowing down at all.

The Mobian raced towards the rock formation, heading straight for the right side of the arch. A second later he was dashing up the curved stone of the rock arch, going upside down in the structure's natural loop and blasting off its upward ledge, flying off into the air...

...and over the edge of the cliff.

Sonic, of course, thought nothing of it. He spread his arms and legs out for hang time as he sailed over the rocky valley, grinning as the air whipped through his quills. Moments like these always got his blood bumping. There was nothing he loved more. The breakneck speed, the thrill of someone to match it with... oh, what a rush!

Spitfire and the other ponies however nearly had their eyes bugging out of their heads. An almost choked gasp escaped the yellow-furred captain's throat at the sight of the seemingly suicidal maneuver.

 _'_ _Is he cracked?! He'll never survive that!'_

But before she could scream for one of them to help her catch the alien before he plummeted to his death, Sonic curled into a ball again and began to spin himself. Down, down, down he fell, the pegasi doing their best to try and catch up to him. But it seemed their moment of stunned shock put them just a few too many wing beats behind. They wouldn't be able to get to him before he hit the ground, and presumably broke every bone in his body.

Down he went, faster and faster, the ground getting closer and closer with each passing second. The Wonderbolts looked on in horror as the curled blue mass of the hedgehog was about to become an ugly red stain on the surface…

...until he wasn't. The moment Sonic's body touched the ground, he launched straight into a rolling dash across the bottom of the ravine. Completely unharmed.

The Wonderbolts could only stare gobsmacked at impossible scene they'd just witnessed. They hovered in midair with their mouths open in shock.

Soarin was the first one to break the silence.

"Well, I'm impressed."

Another stink eye from Fleetfoot turned the casual smile he was sporting into a more apologetic one, the stallion reeling back slightly.

High Winds just stared, looking completely flabbergasted. "How did he… is that… is that even possible?!"

Spitfire grimaced before shouting her next order. "Silver Zoom! Fire Streak! Fleetfoot! You three head east and come in from the ridge's end point! You'll be the backup to cut off his escape! Everyone else, with me!"

She flew beyond the edge of the cliff, the designated half of the Wonderbolts nodding to each other and following while the other squad flew off to the left of the other ponies.

Down at the bottom of the ridge, Sonic untucked from his ball form and sprang back to his feet, skidding along the ground until coming to a stop. He dusted off his hands in a satisfied manner, thinking he was in the clear.

"Phew. Well, that was fun."

"Glad you enjoyed it. 'Cause your joyride's about to come to an end."

Looking behind him to see where the voice had come from, Sonic saw Spitfire and the other three pegasi behind her. He smirked, almost happy he hadn't lost them so easily.

"So you circus ponies still wanna play, huh? Alright, let's see if you can keep up!"

He dashed off to his right, leaving a small dust cloud in his wake.

The four-pony flight team were quick to respond, bursting off the ground after him. The chase now turned into a level run through the ravine.

Sonic's feet carried him rapidly through the gravel, casting a brief glance over his shoulder to throw another barb at his pursuers. "Come on, Dunder-bolts! At least _try_ to make this interesting!"

Boosting his speed, the hedgehog whizzed ahead even faster than before.

"He's accelerating! Take diamond formation! Pick up the pace!" shouted Spitfire.

 _"_ _Roger!"_

Following her command, Misty Fly dropped back towards the rear of the group. Spitfire and Soarin, each with two ponies lined up in a row. Misty Fly took her position forty five degrees behind Spitfire and High Winds.

The team of flyers nodded, started getting closer to the racing Mobian, splitting apart into two and coming in from his sides. Sonic spied them approaching out of the corner of his eye, grinning. "Well well, finally decided to catch up, eh?"

Soarin moved forward past Sonic on his left, Spitfire following shortly behind and staying parallel to the hedgehog as her partner got into position. High Winds matched her placement on Sonic's right, Misty Fly came in behind him, and Soarin swerved in front of him. True to the order's name, the ponies formed a diamond pattern around the Blue Blur. Misty Fly moved up into the air, getting ready to dive-bomb Sonic from behind.

"Oh no, at this rate I'll be caught!" Sonic said, thickly laying on a tone of false worry, before quickly laughing it off. "Hah, yeah right!"

When Misty Fly came diving at his back, Sonic phased out and disappeared, leaving her to catch nothing but empty air. She look around mid flight, utterly baffled at where he'd vanished to.

"What the– where did he go?!"

The bottom of two sneakers planted into her back, making her grunt. The reappearing hedgehog bouncing off her back and into the air in front of the team. He turned midair to face the airponies, a cocksure grin plastered on his face.

"Catch me if you can!" He twisted around to land forward and went zooming on ahead.

Misty Fly looked particularly upset at being stepped on. "Why that little… he's making us look like chumps!" she cried in indignation.

Spitfire's expression burned on the blue speedster. This cocky alien was making her venerable team of flyers look like a bunch of third-rate newbies. She would NOT tolerate it. "Flap those wings, Bolts! Stick to form and give it everything you've got! _Get him!"_

 _"_ _Yes ma'am!"_

The airponies put all their strength and effort into their flapping wings, staying tightly locked in their diamond-shaped pattern. A trail of scattered topsoil blew behind them from how fast they were going.

From his lead position, Soarin licked his slightly drying lip. He could feel some dampness of sweat in his suit on the side of his neck. Chasing this blue ball of spikes had been a heck of a challenge, but now they'd be going a hundred percent. It was time to get this guy. His wings were in overdrive, propelling him forward at a demanding pace of more than six beats per second as he flew with all his might. As he blazed forward with his faithful team behind him, he expected to see the blue alien coming back into their sights for an easy catch any second now.

Only for his eyes to go wide in shock.

"What the...!"

Five yards in front the airponies was Sonic, looking at them with a smug smile.

With his arms crossed.

Running backwards.

Soarin and the rest of the Wonderbolts were left dumbfounded at the act of sheer impossibility that was currently staring them in the face.

"H-How can he-! That's impossible!" shouted High Winds.

"He's... He's just playing around with us!" Misty Fly growled, outraged. "What IS this thing?!"

Sonic brought one arm up and wagged a finger at the Wonderbolts without once breaking his stride. "You're quick, Wonderbolts! But you're not _fast!_ "

Spitfire was seething at his antics. Furious at their inability to catch one stupid looking rodent, even more so at the fact that he seemed to consider the whole thing one big game. The sheer _**nerve**_ of this alien made her blood boil. But as much as her belly burned at the wisecracking rodent making light of them, she held in her anger.

He was still about to get his comeuppance.

That was when Sonic appeared to notice something not adding up in the number of Wonderbolts chasing him. "Hey, weren't there more of y–"

 _THUD!_

Sonic suddenly let out a pained cry as something very hard and solid hit him square in the back. He was knocked off his feet and hit the ground hard, tumbling for several yards before coming to a rough stop.

Groaning, he lifted his face out of the dirt. Looking behind him, he saw that blue pony with the white mane from before giving him a very wry smile. Clearly she was the one responsible. She was joined by the two other stallions from before.

 _'_ _Augh… cheap shot…'_

As he pulled himself to his feet, all seven ponies again landed on the ground and formed a circle around him. They had him completely surrounded with nowhere to run. No way to escape.

The fiery captain's gaze bore into him. She'd seen how quick he was. Now as the others engaged him in direct combat, she would analyze his fighting methods. Let the others wear him down and open him up. Wait for a misstep, and then take him down.

Sonic turned around, glancing around the group before fixing his eyes on Spitfire and Fleetfoot with a serious look. "You guys sure you wanna ride this train?"

Fleetfoot pawed her hoof on the ground in response, offering him no quarter. It was perfectly clear what was about to happen. The only way he was leaving was through them.

With the gauntlet thrown, Sonic stepped slightly back with one foot, curled a fist at his hip, and stretched out an arm to point at her. "Okay, bring it on!"

And then the real fight began.

Soarin, Fire Streak, and Misty Fly were the first to try. They launched from opposing ends of the circle formation, shooting towards Sonic to tackle him down.

Sonic reacted with a quick series of jumps, vaulting over each of the oncoming pegasi. From the corner of his eye he saw Fleetfoot speeding towards him from his right. Stepping slightly back to avoid her, he grabbed her by the tail as she passed, prompting a look of shock from the blue pegasus.

"In the back? Not cool, Cloud Hair."

He spun like a top on one leg, twirling Fleetfoot round and round in a tornado of blue and white. After a few seconds he let go of the screaming pegasus, sending her hurtling through the air and colliding with Silver Zoom. Both ponies crashed hard into the ground with swirls in their eyes.

The next two Sonic saw coming his way were the pair of High Winds and Misty Fly. The white mare took the lead with her pale olive-coated partner floating a few feet above her. Sonic boosted towards her with a quick burst of speed, stretching and reaching one hand out as he soared just over her, and landing with his hand on her back by time she could react. Pivoting on his palm, he twisted his body around and struck Misty Fly right under her jaw with an upwards kick while balancing on the pony beneath him.

Misty Fly was knocked up and back with a grunt, and Sonic sprung off of High Wind's back to miss the swipe she took at him, landing back down on the ground.

Sonic's ears pricked up as he heard something cutting through the air above him, prompting him to backflip away. He just barely avoided the two other stallions smashing their rear hooves into the ground where he stood mere moments ago. They were quick to chase after him, coming at him from both sides.

The one with orange and gray hair threw a barrage of quick boxing-style punches at him, the hedgehog bobbing and weaving from side to side to avoid. When Soarin slid in behind him to throw a low sweeping kick at his legs, Sonic parried Fire Streak's incoming right jab away with his palm and jumped, misdirecting the gray pony's momentum away from him and dodging the kick. In the same motion he twisted his body around and threw a back kick that smacked Fire Streak directly in the back of the head, knocking him away.

Continuing to twist, Sonic stretched his opposite leg up and came down with an axe kick aimed for the crown of Soarin's head. The stallion jumped backwards to avoid the strike, aided by a flap of his wings.

For what felt like dozenth time that night, Spitfire was left staring with her mouth agape at what her eyes beheld. Once again the Wonderbolts were being outpaced, outmatched, and now outfought by the speedy blue rodent.

 _'_ _This guy fights better than most of the royal guards I've seen in years! Who IS he?! Where did he come from?!'_

While she mentally warred with herself, Sonic and Soarin were locked up. Each of them blocking one of the other's thrown punches simultaneously, left legs planted backwards for support and right legs forward and bent as they pushed against one another.

"Gotta admit, hedgehog… you're pretty tough. No wonder the guards had so much trouble with you," Soarin complimented him with an excited smile.

Sonic cracked a little grin in return. "Heh, thanks. You're pretty good yourself."

Suddenly he let go of Soarin's hoof and slipped his extended right arm inside his guard, throwing both arms out to open him up and throwing a backflip kick that caught him right on the chin and sent him soaring up and backwards.

 _"_ _Pretty_ good. But not good enough!"

Landing back on his feet, Sonic turned on his heel ready to make tracks, only to find that the other Wonderbolts had recovered and had again boxed him in. He hissed his teeth in slight aggravation. All of these equines were flesh and blood like him, and didn't seem particularly evil, so he'd been trying to pull his punches since he got here. Maybe now after failing to catch him all night they'd be more receptive to the diplomatic approach?

"Alright, look Doom Patrol. Aside from the whole 'trying to bash my face in' thing, I know you're just doing what you're told. So how about you call it quits now and I'll let you off easy?"

Spitfire however was having none of it, almost offended at the offer. "TAKE HIM DOWN!"

As the Bolts flew in around him, Sonic readied himself in a semi-crouching stance.

"Alright. Just remember, I gave you an out."

He tucked and curled initiate his Spin Dash. Whatever puzzlement the Wonderbolts might have felt at the odd sight was quickly discarded as they lunged for the hedgehog.

Closer, closer, and closer…

 _ **FWOOSH!**_

Sonic shot off the ground like a bullet. His spinning form scored a direct hit to Misty Fly's chest. Immediately after hitting her he ricocheted off and sprung like a bouncy ball, smashing from Wonderbolt to ground to Wonderbolt in a wild frenzy of speed. In the span of mere seconds he'd scored multiple hits to each of the pegasi.

The elite flyers fell like dominoes.

Spitfire stared speechlessly as her team lay there, groaning and twitching in the dirt. She almost missed the gust of air and low screeching sound of someone sliding behind her. Then she felt a hand slap her right on her rear end, causing her to jump in surprise and her wings to shoot up as she let out a very uncharacteristic squeak.

"Sorry cap'n, but I've gotta run! I'll play with you some other time!"

As the Blue Blur shot off away from Rambling Rock Ridge and into the distance behind her, Spitfire just stood there for a moment in shock at what he had just said and done. A faint red shade was visible on her yellow face, and as the second ticked by it quickly intensified as embarrassment turned to rage. Her teeth bared into a furious snarl, and her eyes practically burned with hate for the hedgehog. The normally calm and composed captain suddenly went jetting after him with an anger-filled shriek, a brilliant gold streak left in her wake.

Sonic dashed along the path ahead. With the rocky canyon behind him, there was nothing left but a flat out run through grassland. He spared a passing glance over his shoulder to, almost certain he would have left the air team in the dust after that last attack.

Upon seeing the red-with-anger Wonderbolt captain gaining on him, a tiny chill of fear crawled up his spine. _'_ _Yikes!'_

Turning back around he pressed on ahead. The pair zoomed over a small river and through a thicket of trees, coming out to another green path with railroad tracks leading ahead.

Spitfire flapped her wings as fast as they could go, revenge on her mind and anger in her heart as she chased after the Mobian. The building irritation of the entire night's events had finally hit breaking point with his last thoughtless taunt. Nothing mattered mattered now except catching the damned hedgehog.

Soarin's voice suddenly called over her earpiece again.

 _"_ _Spitfire! Where are you?"_ he called, concern clear in his voice. _"Don't go after him alone! Wait for us, we can regroup and–"_

" _ **NO!"**_ she definitively cut him off. "All of you stay back. I don't want you nearby right now... I'm going for the Burnout."

There were a few moments of shocked pause over the radio.

 _"_ _W-What?! Do you remember what happened LAST time you used your talent?! You can't be serious!"_

"I'm _**deadly**_ serious, Soarin." she said, her voice steeled with conviction. "I cannot... and WILL not let him get away with making fools out of us... I HAVE to catch him!"

 _"_ _Even at the risk of turning the place into a war zone in the process?"_

Silence was the only response.

Knowing any attempts to get her to fall back were futile now, Soarin could only sigh. _"Good luck, captain. And please… come back safe."_

As the call dropped, Spitfire brought all her focus and attention to the blue hedgehog racing barely ten yards in front of her.

Beneath her flight suit, a subtle gold light began to glow on her flank. The shine from her flank grew, and an outline of the yellowish light softly glowed around her entire body. Small wisps of orange fire began spurting from random spots on her body. Her leg, her back, her tail, tiny flames began popping out from all over her as her speed began to increase.

Finally, the light and fire burst into something clearly visible, forming a burning ball of heat around Spitfire's body. Thin, barely visible traces of a mach cone generated around her along with the fire, signifying her speed increasing even further.

This was the peak of Spitfire's potential. A closely guarded secret, channeling this burning energy allowed her to nearly reach the speed of sound. She streaked through the air like a flaming comet, gaining on the hedgehog.

Her eyes narrowed in fierce determination as she started to close in, an almost predatory grin crossing her face. The flaming glow and burning sound eventually drew Sonic's attention, and he turned around to look wide-eyed at the flaming pony.

 _'_ _You're mine, hedgehog! There's maybe only one other pony that can beat me at this speed. The only way you could possibly get away now is to go supersonic!'_ she thought, already savoring her victory.

Her view locked in on his face as he… smiled? And then gave her a thumbs up? Yes, that was exactly what he did right before turning his back on her.

Before another bout of righteous indignation could swell in her mind, her eyes glanced down and noticed Sonic's legs. They spinning so fast that they were only visible as a twirling blue and red wheel underneath his body. What on earth was he–

 _ **BOOOOOM!**_

He suddenly went blasting off ahead of her in a streaking, blue burst of light. The resulting shock wave rattled Spitfire as she stared with wide eyes. It was unmistakable what she had just witnessed:

 _'_ _A sonic boom?!'_

She could hardly believe her eyes. This alien creature's speed was somehow on a level even _she_ couldn't reach. Somehow, someway, this blue, thin-legged rodent was–

 _'_ _Faster than the speed of sound...'_

Looking behind, the bright light that was the Wonderbolt captain quickly shrank from Sonic's view as he left her in the dust. He faced forward, ready to take a victory lap or two around the hemisphere.

And then he saw a sharply inclined hill barely twenty feet in front of him. Far too close for him to stop himself.

 _'_ _Uh-oh...'_

Sonic went up the hill's bend and off, shooting through the air like a supersonic rocket.

"Whooooaaaaaaahhhhhhh!"

He soared uncontrollably over the mountain and forest-covered landscape. When the blue trail of light finally started to fade and his speed decreasing, he was dropping and falling towards the nearby coastal city.

As the blue light streaked across the sky, Spitfire's shock eroded into melancholy acceptance. Her mission had failed. Her target lost. The fire around her began fading away and her speed dropped rapidly, slowing until she came to a steady flutter and landed softly back on the ground. The captain stared off into the night, a strange mixture of dismay and wonder swirling through her head, she thought to herself:

"Just who _is_ this hedgehog...?"

Soarin's voice then cut in over the radio, bringing her out of her stupor.

 _"_ _Come in! Spitfire, come in!"_

Ear flicking, Spitfire adjusted the piece in her ear and responded. "I'm here," she said, taking a long breath of air. "Mission failed… target escaped. Repeat… the target has escaped."

There were a few moments of awkward silence as both ponies came to grips with the situation. Soarin eventually replied.

 _"_ _...What now?"_

She let a tired exhale out through her nostrils. "Get back to HQ. We report to Canterlot first thing tomorrow morning. The princesses will want to know about this."

 _"_ _Roger."_

==========================  
 **10:37 PM**

 **Southwest edge of Equestria**  
==========================

Consciousness slowly crept back into Dr. Eggman's head. His eyes slowly straining and opening, the sting of soreness shooting down his back. With a pained groan he gingerly lifted himself off the ground to sit upright, softly massaging his throbbing temples.

"Oh, my gears and starters… what happened last night?"

When his vision finally, returned he was greeted by the sight of desert dunes as far as the eye could see. The sand was also littered with heaps of metal that were once his Robotropolis citadel.

"Ah, good evening Doctor!"

"Bah!"

Orbot's electronic voice interrupting his thoughts made him jump. His other equally annoying minion Cubot floated in the background behind his red co-worker, currently trying and failing to pull one of his detached arms out from under a steel beam.

"Welcome back to the land of the living. For awhile there was starting to think you had finally cracked your yolk."

Eggman glared at him. "Don't sass me, you mechanical moron!" Lifting himself to his feet, he dusted himself off. "Give me a status report!"

"Well," Orbot began, "it would appear that the wormhole you made with the device to get rid of Sonic backfired. It pulled you in, along with approximately half of Robotropolis, and now we appear to be stranded in an alternate dimension with no idea where we are." he said in a rather smart-alecky tone.

"I already know _THAT_ , you bolt-brained buffoon! I _meant_ about our available forces! I want a list of every operational unit that survived the trip!"

To this, Orbot reached to the ground and picked up a rectangular handheld device and held it out. "Already done, your maliciousness. I took the liberty while you were hard at work napping."

Snatching the handheld from his sassy subordinate with a grumble, Eggman pressed a few buttons as images popped up inside a grid. He dragged a finger up the screen to scroll down, assessing what he had to work with.

"Hmm..."

For what it was worth, his army had come off in pretty good shape. The base itself had been utterly torn apart by the rift's gravity. But several airships, an entire legion off Egg Pawns, and several other specialized units were practically unscathed. About half of the Egg Fleet was also accounted for. Only about a third of it was currently operational, but the rest wasn't catastrophically damaged. Repairs could be completed within a week. Two tops. And he had the metal from about half of his original city base to work with, not counting what he could acquire from this new location.

As he paced to his left, scanning through the wreckage, he noticed something else. Two familiar containment units. One rectangular, dark blue one, and another black with yellow stripes roughly the size of a shipping container. His prized invention and other recently upgraded models had also made it through the crash.

Overall, it was a sizeable haul.

Of course, there was a certain inevitability that crossed Eggman's mind. One persistent, insufferable blot on the escutcheon of his life.

 _Sonic._

After all, the doctor had used the device with the sole intention of whisking the infuriating hedgehog away. If he too had been drawn into the warp, and had survived...

 _'_ _Then it's more than likely that_ _ **he**_ _survived too...'_ he thought, a vein throbbing in his forehead

As he paced through the mess of broken machinery, a brief twinkle of light to the left caught his attention. A bluish glow coming from inside a small sand dune, just a few meters away. The portly genius's eyes widened. He recognized that glow. He marched over and knelt down to dig and brush away at the sand. Reaching inside, his hand came into contact with a hard, familiar shape, which he grabbed and pulled free with a heave.

Eggman now held the cyan Chaos Emerald in his hand. A nefarious grin broke across his face.

He whipped around and pointed at Orbot.

"Set all ground units to work building our new base! And get a dozen Flappers in the air! I want to know everything about where we are by daybreak!"

Orbot saluted and hovered off to get to work—right after assisting his yellow partner—and left Eggman alone.

Slipping the Emerald into his pocket, the mad scientist stepped back through the shifting sand and scattered metal debris. He found his way to his slightly tattered command chair and sat, pressing his fingers together. His wicked mind already delving into what he could accomplish in this new world, he muttered softly to himself:

"Now then, where to begin?"


	5. New Faces, New Places

=========  
 **10:56 AM**

 **Baltimare**  
=========

The streets of Baltimare were bustling. Ponies lively went about their daily activities, carrying on about their jobs and errands. Others simply conversed on the sidewalk.

And today, the local grapevine had a new inclusion to its usual gossip.

On a street corner just south of the Bronco-Seltzer Tower, a trio of ponies were speaking to each other. Two mares – an orchid unicorn and a white pegasus – along with a blue earth pony stallion, stood together while other ponies passed them by, deeply engaged in conversation about the matter.

"Hey, have you heard? About the alien?"

"Alien? What alien?"

"You mean you don't know? There was an alien invasion in Canterlot last night!"

"What?"

"Pfft, really? Alien invasion? Get outta here."

"No, it's true! They're saying that some weird blue thing showed up out of nowhere and tried to kidnap Princess Celestia."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously! I heard it blew up several buildings on a rampage through the city."

"Whoa..."

"Oh come on, you're not really believing that, are you? Ponies love blowing things out of proportion. It's probably just some exaggerated gossip."

"Oh yeah? Is it 'exaggerated gossip' that put one of Princess Luna's top guards on the shelf?"

"...Come again?"

"You heard right. Story goes that a lieutenant ended up in the infirmary. Whatever this thing was, it took out one of her best, eluded the rest of the guards, including Captain Shining Armor himself, and then just disappeared."

"Sweet Celestia..."

"Oh, that's nothing! I hear Princess Luna called in the Wonderbolts to track it down. Even _they_ couldn't catch the thing!"

"W-What?! Are you kidding?!"

"Nope. We've got a real menace on our hooves this time. From what I hear, the upper crusts and the guards have already got a name made out for the thing. They're calling it the Blue De– "

"GANGWAY!"

All the ponies lining the streets abruptly snapped their heads in the other direction to see a gray pegasus with black and yellow hair barreling towards them. With startled whinnies they dove for cover as the winged stallion whooshed by.

The pony zipped through the streets, his beating wings carrying him just a few feet off the ground. His bushy mane flapped in the wind behind him, and the saddlebags strapped across his torso jostled with the force. The ponies in his path who saw him coming quickly got out of the way, and he shouted out warnings to any who didn't.

"One side! Coming through! Hot stuff! Watch it!"

He winded through the streets until the greenery of the town's main park came into view. At the edge, just before the downward grassy slope, was a concrete stairway that curved down. He grinned eagerly as he spotted the thin black shape of the stair railing.

Lifting just a little bit higher, he straightened up right as the rail was coming and hit with his back hooves, grinding down the looping metal curve with ease.

"Woohoo!"

He leaned and curved as the stair railing turned, his hooves making a shrill grate against the metal as he went, and his whole performance continually startling the ponies walking up and down the steps.

"Heads up! Thrash-Meister coming through here!"

At the bottom of the loop he jumped off and spread his wings to continue flying just above the ground through park, flapping and soaring faster and faster over the greenery.

Up ahead he could make out two shapes steadily bouncing with a trot along the dirt path going. He always loved going through here around this time; it was when all the cute joggers went on their runs. His grin turned completely giddy as he sped towards them.

Two mares trotted unsuspectingly along their usual route. The first was a pale yellow pegasus with straight, short brown hair that hung off one side of her face. Her glasses-wearing unicorn partner that followed just a couple feet behind her was an unusually tall specimen. Her grayish sap green coat splashed with even darker shades on her back, flank and shoulders. She sported whitish spots along her back as well, and her dark scarlet mane and tail were long and billowing.

Only when it was too late did the two ponies finally noticed the speeding gray bullet heading in their direction.

"S'cuse me ladies!"

He went streaking between the pair of mares, sending their manes and tails into blowing in his wake. He craned his head around for a glance at their frames, his smile growing even bigger with a hint of naughtiness to it.

"Ah, always a great view around this hour," he said to himself. The green one had an especially lovely rear view.

Continuing on he veered upwards, flying just over the very tip of the large pagoda in the middle of the park. A few moments later he crossed over the barricade of trees, signaling the end of the park grounds. He could see his bayside house just beyond the way.

Another minute of flight, and the pegasus was nearly to the front of bayside building. Gliding down to the front mailbox, he slowed with a few flaps and hovered for a moment before finally touching down concrete path.

"Ah… home sweet home!"

No sooner did he walk up the pathway and nearly make it to the front door did he hear some commotion coming from around back. With a curious tilt of his head, he stepped around the right of the house and headed for the back. He could hear a pair of voices:

"Do you always have to shout about everything?"

"Don't change the subject! What _is_ that thing, and what is it doing in our backyard?!"

"First, I don't know. This is a new one for me. And second, I only just got here a couple hours ago. I thought you two would be watching the house last night. Evidently, you didn't. I assume you were off on another one of your nightly escapades instead of properly looking after things, as usual?"

"That's not important! And you should have gotten rid of him!"

The pony reached the back end of the house in another few steps and turned around the corner. A blue dragon sat on the patio, a few feet away from the rear wall on the patio, just underneath the awning hanging overhead. Red spines running in a line down his back and tail, as well as a similarly colored crest on his head, decorated his primarily light blue scales. Tan scales lined down his throat, chest, and underside. Similar tan markings framed the underside of his eyes. He sat with his legs crossed and eyes closed, resting the palms of his claws on his knees, like he was meditating.

In between him and the wooden outdoor table was a griffon. He had the head of a hawk, brown colored with tall feathers that pointed out from the back of his head, and one that hung out like a forelock from the top of his forehead. His coat was that of a tiger's, rough orange and black-striped. Ruffled feathers and curled fists showed obvious anger at something.

He rolled his eyes. How typical. "So, our resident hothead Gristle is shouting about something? Must be a day that ends in Y."

Said griffon turned his head away from the sitting dragon to give him a dirty look, a tick mark on his forehead and his eyes comedically blank white. "And where have _you_ been, Skyboom?! You were supposed to be here more than an hour ago!" he shouted, wings spreading in his ire.

The gray-furred pegasus folded his wings against his barrel and gave his griffon roommate a giddy smile. "Ah, not much. Just taking a little scenic stroll through Saddleson Park. Gotta just slow down sometimes and take in all the natural wonders, y'know?"

His reply prompted the Indian-style sitting dragon to crack and eye open at his pegasus friend. "And by 'scenic route' and 'natural wonders', I assume you mean doing bothersome fly-bys and oogling the female joggers, right?"

Skyboom lurched tellingly at the dragon's accusation, his breath catching as a soft 'guh' escaped his throat. "W-What are you talking about, Ultimo? Me? Do that? No way…" he said unconvincingly, rubbing the back his head with a nervous chuckle. Clearing his throat, he brought the conversation back to what he overheard from them before. "So, uh… what exactly were you guys yelling about?"

Gristle, still looking irritated, pointed with his right hand towards the extension of the house opposite from where Skyboom stood. "THAT!"

Following his finger, Skyboom looked over towards the opposite side of the yard. When his eyes met what Gristle was pointing to, his ears drooped down in surprise and his mouth fell open with a wide-eyed stare.

The prone form of Sonic the Hedgehog lay collapsed on his back in the trio's back yard. A trail of disturbed ground could be seen stretching for several yards to where the Mobian currently lay, indicating that he'd hit the ground and roughly tumbled for quite a ways before coming to his current resting place. As he laid there with his arms outstretched, the steady rise and fall of his chest the only clear sign he was still alive, Skyboom gaped at the bizarre blue creature.

"What in Equestria is that?! And how did it get in our backyard?"

Rising to his feet, Ultimo stretched his wings and regarded the pegasus for a moment. "Well, in that order: I have no idea. I don't think I've come across something quite like him before. Closest I've ever seen were some ghoulish looking things way south of the border. And even they didn't look like _that._ "

The tiger griffon immediately butted in with another loud retort. "Which begs the question why you decided to let it lounge about in our yard at all!"

Ultimo let out an annoyed breath. "One: there's no reason for dragging someone off while they're unconscious. It's rude. And probably illegal. Two: if you bothered using those 'keen griffon senses' you're always going on about, you'd see that there's no need to mess with him." The dragon pointed to the trail of disturbed dirt leading to where their guest was. "Judging from the rough path there, just getting here took a lot out of him. He hasn't moved since I got back here hours ago. As far as I'm concerned, he's not doing any harm."

While Gristle continued to adamantly protest about their guest, Skyboom stood where he was, eyes gleaming inquisitively at the prone being as he scratched his chin in thought.

The dragon cut off any more of his striped roommate's complaint with an exasperated huff of smoke from his nose. "Well if you have such a problem, then just hang out until he wakes up. With all three of us here he can't make too much trouble."

Gristle only continued to oppose him, not satisfied with the answer in the slightest. The two went on arguing, Ultimo having no luck appeasing the grumpy griffon. Neither of them noticed their other roommate slowly tiptoeing towards the Mobian.

* * *

Sonic fidgeted and grunted uncomfortably in his sleep. His brow furrowed, low, murmured words escaping his lips. "N-No, stop… you're pure evil… why are you coloring my arms…?"

With a sudden jolt he awoke from his nightmare, stirring and opening his eyes. Slowly he became aware of his surroundings, the sky coming back into view. Gripping at the earth beneath him, he was able to feel grass between his fingers. A welcome change from sailing blindly through the air at supersonic speeds. The throbbing in his back and head made him groan as he shakily pushed his back off the ground to sit upright, groaning as he rubbed his temples. "Man… hope I won't have to do _that_ again any time soon…"

When he finally opened his eyes fully, baby blue stared back at his green ones. The head of a gray pony stared him directly in the face.

"Hi!"

"Aaaaaahhhhhhhhh!"

"Waaaaaaahhhhhhhh!"

Startled, Skyboom jumped up and awkwardly fell back onto his rump, scrambling backwards.

The sudden burst of adrenaline evaporated Sonic's grogginess and pain. He kipped up into a loose fighting stance to brace himself for what he thought in his snap judgement was another attack. "Alright, you coloring book donkeys! Come and get… some…"

Upon realizing there were no more uniformed pony troopers trying to subdue him, his bold declarations died in his throat. He awkwardly glanced at the new trio of creatures before him, each of them returning his gaze with equal looks of surprise and alarm.

Gristle had jumped up onto the table in a crouch, his claws flexing out and biting into the wood, ready to pounce, like an animal defending his territory. But before he could do anything, Ultimo stepped forward with a hand raised in slight greeting to diffuse the tense situation. "Easy there, stranger. You're in no danger here."

His gentle tone seemed sincere enough to the hedgehog. After a moment or two of checking him over, he stood up straighter and slightly lowered his guard. "Huh… well, you get your props for being the best first impression anyone's given me since I got here," said Sonic, rolling out some of the kinks in his sore shoulder as Ultimo continued.

"Seems as if you've had quite the adventure getting here."

The corner of Sonic's mouth lifted in a half smile. "You don't know the half of it buddy. So, any chance you could tell me where I am at the moment?"

"Taking up space in our backyard, that's where you are," Gristle replied rudely.

Ultimo turned to glare at Gristle, his crudeness finally bringing him to the end of his patience. "That's _enough_ , Gristle," he said in a threateningly, leveling the griffon with a glare that said 'Act like a jerk one more time and see what happens.' His tone left no room for argument. "Show some respect."

Gristle cringed at his roommate's commanding tone of voice, shrinking a bit and looking away sullenly as he grumbled to himself.

While that was happening Skyboom again walked right up to the hedgehog, looking him over. The proximity started to make Sonic a little uncomfortable. "You're kind of staring into my soul, horse boy. Can I help you with something?"

"As a matter of fact you can." He stared Sonic straight in the face. "You see, I've been hearing about this crazy rumor going around town today. About some big hoopla going down in Canterlot. Something about a weird looking rodent on two legs that turned the whole place into a tizzy. Supposedly, it dropped in from out of nowhere while Princess Celestia was sleeping, squared off with Princess Luna and the royal guard and whipped their flanks. And then did the same thing to the Wonderbolts before vanishing into the night."

As the eyes of Skyboom's two roommates behind him grew wider, Sonic became more and more nervous that another fight was about to break out. His fingers flexed instinctively and he started to take a half step back, readying himself to spring into action at a moment's notice.

Until a beaming smile split across the pegasus's face. "Dude, that was awesome! Give it up top!" he said ecstatically, raising up his hoof.

Sonic stood there a moment and blinked, bewildered by the unexpected turn of the conversation. But he quickly relaxed and offered the pony a grin, high-fiving him back.

"Seriously though! Word's been circling all morning! Is it true? First they say you whipped Princess Luna's captain and lieutenant's tails all over Canterlot! Than you run circles around the coolest flyers ever, the Wonderbolts? That's epic, dude!"

Sonic chuckled and scratched his ear. The sudden praise was pretty flattering. "Ah, what can I say? I'm just that good."

Ultimo then cut in, his demeanor less friendly than it had been a moment ago. "Attacking Canterlot?"

Sonic stiffened, holding up his hands in a non-threatening way. "Hey, I didn't 'attack' anyone! I ended up there by complete accident, and then the stormtroopers came down on me. I just wanted out of there. I don't do well with prison cells. Especially for things I know I haven't done."

Ultimo thoughtfully scanned the blue Mobian, trying to get a read on him. His posture, his tone of voice, and especially his eyes. As intently as he peered, he couldn't glean anything from Sonic's look that gave the impression he was lying, enough so to make him relax. "I suppose there are always two sides to every story. But it'll be better for you to get that cleared up as soon as possible."

The lighter mood returning, Skyboom beamed at Sonic quizzically. "So, what are you supposed to be exactly? Some kind of giant porcupine?"

" _Porcupine?!_ " exclaimed Sonic, offended. "Heck no! I'm a hedgehog." He ran his hand through his quills somewhat haughtily and gave the pony a thumbs up. "And prooouuud of it!"

In the background, Gristle scoffed under his breath at the hedgehog's cocky attitude. Ultimo simply watched the two converse, studying the Mobian all the while. Skyboom nodded in recognition at his newly met acquaintance. "Cool beans! I like your style, Blue. What do they call you?"

The Blue Blur cordially held out a hand to him. "The name's Sonic."

The pegasus reciprocated, placing his hoof in his hand. Sonic felt him 'grip' somehow – finding it very puzzling how a creature with only a hoof could do such a thing – as he shook it.

"I'm Skyboom! And my friends here are Gristle and Ultimo," he said, gesturing respectively to the striped griffon and blue dragon.

At this point Gristle finally decided to join the interaction. With a flap of his wings he came off the table top and landed in front of Sonic, giving the hedgehog a scrutinizing look. "So… a stringy thing like you took on the Canterlot guard _and_ the Wonderbolts? I'll believe that when I see it," he said skeptically.

Sonic quirked an eyebrow as he gauged the griffon, his mouth curving into a cheeky smile. "Well, considering how infamous I apparently am around here, that might happen sooner than you think, Tony the tiger bird."

The griffon's eyes again and took on a comedic whiteness, narrowing with displeasure at his comment. "Was that a wise crack, rodent boy?! You wanna fight?!"

Skyboom cut between the two with a chuckle. "Ah, don't let ol' Gristle get to you. He's just a grump sometimes."

Sonic snickered. He liked this particular colorful horse.

"Hey, as long as you're here, wanna join us for lunch? We got pizza!" he announced, reaching a hoof into one of the backs strapped over his barrel and pulling out a square cardboard box, from which came the unmistakable aroma of pizza. "Wasn't expecting another mouth today, but there's plenty to go around."

Sonic's demeanor lit up at the mention of food. He barely realized how hungry he was, not having had a bite since he was back on Mobius before this whole dilemma began. "Well, I mean… that's nice of you to offer, but are you sure it's cool? I already crashed your space, I don't wanna impose any more than I have."

Then Ultimo, who had been mostly quiet up until that point, stepped forward, giving Sonic an assuaging smile. "Think nothing of it. You seem to have had a difficult enough time. The least we could do is offer someone in need a bite to eat," he said politely.

Gristle, still not too taken with the new arrival just yet, folded his arms and looked off in another direction. "Meh… if they're alright with it, I guess it's ok with me too."

Sonic couldn't help smile wider at the kind insistence. After being chased like a criminal since the moment he dropped into this weird place, it was finally nice to have some friendly company. And a hot meal to boot.

"Living things not trying to bash my head in, _and_ offering free food? Today must be my lucky day. That's really cool of you Scales, horse boy."

"Ah it's nothing," Skyboom replied with a pleasant smile, only breaking his smile to correct Sonic's word usage. "But it's uh, pony."

The hedgehog shrugged casually and went over to the table just as Gristle opened the first box, revealing a scrumptious looking pie of cheese pizza. The cheesy aroma wafted up to Sonic's nose. It was enough to make his mouth water. "Mmmmmm~"

Gristle had a similar look of brimming hunger on his face, and reached for the first slice.

"Wait!"

Skyboom's sudden shout startled the group, who looked at him.

"A moment to reflect."

Gristle suddenly 'ah'd' affirmatively, and Ultimo nodded with an amused smile. Together with their pony roommate they leaned in over the pie and gave a long, deep smell of their meal, and then leaned back with gratified sighs. _"_ _Aaaaahh~"_

The gray pony grinned. "Alright, let's dig in!"

Ultimo took a piece for himself, handing a paper plate to Sonic, who took it with a gracious expression. Gristle's mouth was already stuffed to the brim and chewing with puffed cheeks.

"So, where do you come from, hedgehog?" Said Ultimo, taking a seat at the table in front of his own plate. "Even as well travelled as I am, I've never seen a creature that looks like you before."

Sonic paused for a second. He wasn't exactly sure how to begin explaining the whole 'ripped through the fabric of time and space' and 'alternate dimension' thing at the moment. So he settled for a simple answer. "Somewhere very, _very_ far away," he said, taking a bite of his slice. His eyebrow raised before his face slipped into a content smile. He didn't know what these horses used to cook this side of the multiverse, but this pizza was delicious. "But here's a better question. Where exactly am I now?"

Skyboom piped up. "Glad you asked! You, my spiky blue friend, are in Baltimare! Best city this side of Equestria!"

Sonic's face fell into a dull expression. _'I was afraid of this. These horse puns ARE a thing around here…'_

"E… questria?" He asked, rolling the unfamiliar name around in his mouth.

"Wow, you really are from way out nowhere, aren't you?" Skyboom remarked, his words somewhat muffled through his full mouth. "We've got all the best stuff here in Baltimare! Awesome weather, great view of the ocean, best mares this side of Canterlot." That last part came with a small snicker. "In fact, they say that sometimes down at the old Horseshoe Bay Lighthouse, you can sometimes see this especially gorgeous one–"

Ultimo's tail lightly smacked the pony upside the head, enough to rouse him from his mare-centric rambling. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Ehehe… my bad."

Sonic half smiled. "Charming. But if we're being honest, I don't know a single thing about this place, country, whatever it is. Would someone mind filling me in on the big picture?"

Ultimo nodded. "Certainly." Finishing what was in his mouth, the blue dragon took a seat on the table bench next to Sonic, and began to recite a condensed version of the history of Equestria. "More than a thousand years ago, long before the kingdom now called Equestria existed, there were three different tribes of ponies. Pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies. In this distant past, the three groups were splintered. Divided by fear, suspicion, and hatred for one another. And wherever these three warring factions went, inhospitable blizzards followed."

"Eesh, not cool," Sonic muttered.

"Eventually the three tribes sought new land to call home. It wasn't until they all met again in this new land that it was discovered the freezing weather was being caused by Windigos. Malevolent, ghostly creatures feeding on their hate for one another. Only when the ponies finally came together in friendship and harmony were they able to produce a magic powerful enough to drive the Windigos back to whence they came. Since then, Princess Celestia and Princes Luna have ruled over the land together."

Sonic blinked at that. Ancient, wicked monsters and super powerful, emotion-based magic? It sounded like something right out of a children's story book. But then again, he'd seen stranger.

"Celestia and Luna?" he asked, raising a brow curiously.

"They're the royal alicorn sisters," Skyboom interjected. "They've got traits of all three kinds of ponies. Really tall, with horns and wings"

Sonic grimaced uncomfortably as memories of the tall and dark pony from the castle came back to him. "I think I've met one of them…"

Unfazed by his comment, Skyboom continued. "They're totally regal, and beautiful, and awesome! Not only are they in charge of the kingdom, they're in charge of the night and day! Celestia raises the sun to begin every morning. And Luna, her younger sister, brings the night by raising the moon."

Sonic did a double take. "Wait wait wait, timeout. You've got a pair of sisters responsible for making day and night?"

"That's correct," said Ultimo, as soon as he finished swallowing another bite of pizza. "Under their power and guidance, they created a place of peace and harmony for its inhabitants, and Equestria has enjoyed relative peace for most of its existence as a result."

Sonic gave a low whistle. "Color me impressed."

Truly, he couldn't help but admire what these two noble sisters had apparently managed to maintain here. Mobius had been and for the most part still was a very content world. But ever since Eggman came into the picture, it seemed that there were battles for the fate of the world every third week. Now, here was a place that had supposedly maintained a peaceful rule for almost a millennium. Quite the feat indeed.

Skyboom suddenly spoke up again. "Anyway! Since I'm off the clock early today, we can all get to work on the next piece! How we lookin', Gristle?"

The griffon smirked confidently back at him. "Ah, please. I've got these chords down like the back of my claw. Here, I'll show you," he said before pacing over to the back door and going into the house.

Sonic blinked. "Chords?"

Before he could get his answer, Gristle returned carrying two long black cases by their handles, as well as a set of drumsticks in his right hand. He laid the cases down on the patio, then haphazardly tossed the drumsticks right towards the pegasus's head. "Catch!"

In a split second, Skyboom's eyes widened in a sudden reaction of fight or flight. Almost instinctively, he leaned to his right to let one of the sticks pass by his head and caught it with his right hoof, and catching the other with his left before it hit him in the face.

The movement didn't escape Sonic's notice. _'Good reflexes.'_

Regaining his focus, Skyboom frowned at his roommate. "DUDE! Not cool!"

Gristle shrugged nonchalantly in response. "Oops."

"Jerk… now like I was saying, we can finally get back to practice." Trotting over to the wall, he came to some sort of object with a tarp draped over it. He pulled it off to reveal a shiny set of drums, looking at them gleefully. "Hello babies. Daddy missed you." He flapped over the drum set and plopped himself in the seat.

Gristle opened one of the cases and took out a red split-headed guitar, smiling down at it, and drumming his claws eagerly on the body. Ultimo meanwhile returned from inside with a keyboard in claw, along with its accompanying stand.

"Well, how about that? Didn't know we had some rockers in the house," Sonic remarked.

"You better believe it!" Skyboom responded, before turning to the griffon again. "Alright Gristle, gimme a low steady strum. Make those tunes nice and deep. Ultimo, lead me in with a quick dash of classic piano!"

The two were a little puzzled at the instructions, but went along anyway and took up their seats next to and on the table bench. Skyboom opened with the drums, and the impromptu song began.

After about ten seconds of letting the methodical beat go, Skyboom started to sing.

 _"Here I come, rougher than the rest of them!"_  
 _"The best of them, tougher than leath–"_

"NO!"

Gristle suddenly cut off the music with a harsh single note, causing the others to jolt in their seats.

"H-Hey man, what's the deal?" Skyboom complained.

Gristle stared at him with a look that couldn't have been surlier if he tried. "That was just… that is so painfully retro, it physically hurts me. And what is that, a rap number? What do you think this is?"

"Oh, come on! It couldn't have been _that_ bad! The guys down at the pizza joint thought it was charming."

"Hmph, maybe to overly nostalgic tryhards."

Skyboom stuck his tongue out at his striped roommate.

Sonic cracked a sudden smile and stood up, his interest thoroughly peaked. And not just because of the vaguely familiar tune. "You know, I do a little guitar myself. Maybe I could give it a whirl?"

The three creatures turned and looked at him, surprised.

Gristle gave a disbelieving scoff. "Really? You?" he said cynically. "Alright then, Spikes. If you think you're all that," Using his back paw, he slid the other black case to Sonic's feet. "why don't you show us what you've got?"

Sonic looked down at the case and back at Gristle, smirking confidently. "I'd be glad to."

Leaning down and opening the case, he was greeted by a beautifully made orange-red guitar with a vaguely Fling V design. Except it had ruffled, almost feathered extensions on its body. And its head had the shape of a bird spreading its wings. Picking it up, Sonic marveled over it for a moment. It was a thing of beauty.

Gristle sat up with his arms folded and waited with a snide smile. _'This oughta be entertaining,'_ he thought to himself. He wasn't expecting much.

And then Sonic started to play. _ **(1)**_

The three Equestrian roommates stopped and stared as he rocked on the guitar. He played the solo seamlessly, every strum hitting the right pitch with perfect accuracy. With a slight delay on the penultimate note and one final strum, he brought the song to a close.

Once he finished he glanced at Gristle with a wry expression. _'How do you like me now?'_

Gristle's expression finally lightened as he let out a chuckle. "Alright, Spikes. You've made your point. Guess there's a little more to you than I thought."

Sonic just smiled, rubbing underneath his nose.

"Well, come on, don't stop there! More, more!" said Skyboom.

"Alright then… let's try this. Gimme about ten or so seconds, then take it away with the drums. Start easy, but get ready to pick up the pace. You just try to keep up, Stripes."

The others nodded, Gristle shooting back a sportive grin, and Sonic started playing again. _ **(2)**_

A low, deeper strum held for a few seconds, and then the Sonic really started to strum. This one didn't start as swift, but built quickly. It had power, energy, and reckless abandon. Especially when Sonic's fingers really started blazing over the strings.

The others were getting just as into it as he was. Skyboom quickly licked his lips between his massive grin, matching the hedgehog's dancing fingers with perfectly synchronized drum beats.

When the final riff came to an end, the other creatures were left in awe.

"That! Was! _Awesome!_ " Skyboom exclaimed, absolutely giddy.

Gristle was similarly pleased. "Not too shabby, 'hog. Think you got my heart beating a few ticks faster with that one."

"It's a gift," Sonic replied.

"I'll bet some extra distortion here and there would make that one even better…" Skyboom pondered.

Ultimo smiled. "You've got some real talent there, Sonic. We could sure use someone as good as you as a replacement lead. Ever since–"

A round of more sullen faces was suddenly shared by the three Equestrians.

"…well… ever since we lost our last one."

Sonic noticed the sudden change in mood, looking between the three of them. "Something happen?"

Skyboom's ears fell flat and he looked down, and Gristle looked off to the side with a sour expression on his face, leaving Ultimo to answer him. "Let's just say we had a bit of an unexpected falling out with one of our old friends."

The blue hedgehog rubbed the back of his head. "You flatter me. But, I don't really think that would work out so well. Having to go back home would probably put a damper on your whole 'making it big' thing."

Ultimo smiled weakly. "Fair enough."

He set the guitar back down in its case and locked it up, stepping out from the center of the yard. "Well boys it's been fun, but I think I gotta be hitting the road now."

"You're going already?" Skyboom lamented, setting down his drumsticks and walking over to him, looking crestfallen.

Sonic offered him a sorry smile. "Sorry pal. I'd stay if I could, but I've got some major things to do. Places to see, and return trips to try and make. Besides, I've still got at least three different kinds of jackboots on the prowl for me. Wouldn't want you getting in trouble over me."

Ultimo couldn't help smile. He sure was a stand-up guy.

"Aw… alright. Don't be afraid to stop by if you're ever in the neighborhood again," said the gray pony.

"Sounds cool." Sonic clasped his hoof again for a handshake and bid the others a farewell wave. "See you later, guys."

Just as he started to bounce on the balls of his feet and stretch in preparation for his exit, Ultimo moved towards the back door, calling out to him as he headed inside. "Hang on, Sonic."

His call made Sonic stop and look over his shoulder. "Hm?"

He came back through the door with two small blue sacks in his hand. "Take these before you go."

The dragon tossed the bags towards Sonic. As he caught them, there was a metallic jungle that made the hedgehog give a questioning look. "What's this?" he asked.

"Those are bits. Our currency here in Equestria. You can use it to buy food and anything else you might need. There's twenty-five in each, fifty in total. Should be enough to keep you going for a good while." Ultimo smiled pleasantly. "You seem like a good guy. You shouldn't have to be on the run out there empty-handed."

Sonic's face slowly broke into a wide smile. "Dude, you are a lifesaver! I promise I won't forget this!" he said gratefully, tucking the bags away and giving the three of them a thumbs up. "Wish me luck, boys. Take it easy!" And off he went, dashing away down the stretch of land curving out towards the bay.

That was when Gristle decided to give his two cents. "You just went and _gave_ him all those bits? We put in some good work for those."

Skyboom leaned in which a snarky smile. "Really breaking the 'greedy griffon' stereotype there, Gristle."

"Shove it, Skyboom!"

* * *

Coming to a halt at partially green rock ledge on the edge of the bay, Sonic looked over the quaint scenery and weighed his options. _'_ _Alright, I've got a full stomach and full pockets. Guess the only thing to do now is pick a direction to head in.'_ He placed his hand above his eyes and looked out. Nothing but crystal blue ocean stretched for miles. The sight of it made Sonic's face turn an uncomfortable dark blue. _'_ _Oh, sweet Chaos… so… much… water…'_

Looking to the east, he could see a lush forest on the edge of Baltimare. Faint spikes of buildings stretched out in the distance beyond that. Another city. It seemed a much more viable option at the moment.

Until he remembered he had at least two different branches of military hunting for him. Memories of his pony pursuers, particularly the two flying, dark-colored mares from the castle grounds, and that flaming flight team leader crept back into his head. He was in no mood for another game of extreme pony tag. "On second thought… I think I'll take my chances at sea," he mused. Time _away_ from horse society for a while sounded good.

Allowing himself a measured breath, he ducked and began to spin his feet. A bold grin spread across his face. "New venture, here I come!"

 _SHOOM!_

He went blasting off the shoreline and over the surface of the water, off to whatever awaited him.

=========  
 **11:53 AM**

 **Ponyville**  
=========

Over in Ponyville, this particular bright day on the green grass featured a black and white game board with an array of different pieces set up on a low table. On either side of it sat two colts. The first looked studious and attentive. The other was far less happy about the current situation.

"Pipsqueak, when you said you had a new game we could try out, this isn't what I had in mind," Button Mash groaned.

"Come now, Rumble. If you can spend six hours at that arcade machine, you can play chess with me for a little."

Button lifted his chin, looking at him morosely. "It doesn't help when you've already beat me three times…" he moaned, leaning his a cheek into his hoof. "I barely know the rules of this dumb game. Where'd you even learn to play this?"

"My nana would always have board games on a shelf in her basement. My other young relatives and I would always play them together when we visited. Now come on, it's your move," he said, motioning his hoof in a circle.

* * *

Nearby, Spike sat on top of the white split rail fence adjacent the path leading from the school house. He bounced a small red bouncy ball up and down against the ground from where he sat, an antsy expression on his face. "Aw come on, come on… he should have been here by now."

Before he could continue to wonder what the holdup was, a young colt with a light brilliant orange coat and bushy, moderate azure hair galloped into view and stopped in front of him. He panted hard with his head low, as if he'd just run halfway across Ponyville.

"Well, it's about time, Base! I've been waiting here for almost twenty minutes! You know I've got errands to run with Twilight in the afternoon. I've only got so much time to spare in the morning!"

First Base could only smile apologetically between his heavy breaths. "Whew… sorry… whew… about that, Spike," he said, sucking in a big gulp of air as he composed himself. "We were just having brunch with my big brother. He just finished his basic training to be in the royal guard. Now he's gonna be a full-fledged member instead of just a cadet! And he's only home for a few days before his real service starts. I just wanted to hang out with him as much as I could before he went back to Canterlot today."

Hearing the explanation, Spike's expression softened. The thought of getting to spend time with a rarely-seen older sibling tugged at his heartstrings. "Ah, well at least you're here now." Then he grew an excited look on his face. "Did you bring it?"

The colt smiled back at him. "Of course!" He held out his hoof to show a rubber, bright yellow bouncy ball about the size of Spike's palm.

"Nice bouncy ball," Spike said cheerfully, showing off his own. "I got this one last week with my last comic book."

First Base gave the dragon a cheeky look. "Kind of small and dinky, isn't it?"

Spike frowned. "Hey, size isn't everything. Don't you know the smaller ones bounce higher?" The corner of his mouth lifted into a challenging smirk. "How 'bout we see which one's better!"

First Base matched his expression, swishing his tail eagerly. "You're on!"

* * *

Button focused in on the board, contemplating his next move. Being the much less experienced player, Pipsqueak had allowed him to be white so he could go first. Each of them had only made move so far, Button moving one of his pawns a single space to F3, and Pipsqueak following similarly with a pawn to D3.

He rubbed his chin. During the last game he had taken quite a few of Pip's pieces with a "hit and run" method targeting the flanks, mostly using the bishops and rooks. So, he would try in that vein again. He picked up his second-furthest-right pawn and moved it two spaces ahead to G4.

Pipsqueak gave a sly grin. He lifted his queen and moved diagonally it all the way to the side of the board to H4, giving a closed-eyed smile. "Checkmate!"

Button's eyes widened, hints of a strained gasp of shock coming from his throat. After a few moments of choked stammering, he threw his hooves up in anger. "Son of a goat!"

"Button! Language!" Pipsqueak scolded.

The colt only moaned, pressing his hooves into his face. "This bites! How did you beat me in just two moves?!"

Pip offered a sympathizing look to his friend. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Button. You were doing really well the last couple of games. You just made yourself a bit mentally tired, so you forgot to give your king proper protection and left an opening. It was really just dumb luck that you moved where you did."

"I don't think I'm cut out for this… I'd rather stick to my Joy Boy. That's easier," he said, looking dejected.

"Perish the thought, Button Mash. Don't give up so easily. Even if you don't win, it's always important to learn from your mistakes. It's how you get better," Pipsqueak said encouragingly. Then he gestured to the board again. "Want to play one more time? Fifth time's the charm?"

Before Button could answer him, their game table was suddenly knocked over. The board flipped and tumbled to the ground, and the chess pieces scattered everywhere, surprising both of them.

A voice sarcastically cut in. "Ooooops."

Pipsqueak turned to the source, his brows knitted together in anger. "Diamond Tiara! What did you do that for?!"

The offending pink filly regarded the two with a snooty sneer. She was flanked as always by her partner in crimes against decency, Silverspoon. "Well hello there, losers," she snarked.

* * *

First Base and Spike stood side by side. Both boys glanced at each other with competitive faces, ready to go.

"Alright, we'll go on three," Spike said eagerly.

Base held his hoof up high, with Spike matching his movement.

"One…"

"Two…"

 _"_ _Three!"_

Shouting the last one together, they threw their balls down at the ground as hard as they could, causing the round rubber toys to leap high into the air, barely visible as tiny specks.

"Which is it?!"

"Which one's higher?!"

They looked up frantically at to see where in the air the bouncy calls had reached, both anxiously hoping theirs would be the winner.

"Can you see em, Spike? Can you?"

Spike pursed his lips. "Not yet…"

* * *

"Don't you have anything better to do than harass us?" Pipsqueak complained at the two spoiled fillies.

Diamond Tiara just flipped her mane in an uncaring manner. "Of course I do. I just felt like gracing you little hayseeds with my presence. Since everypony else is off on that silly little field trip to that dirty old settler pony town…" she scorned, her nose wrinkling at the mention of the location. "You should feel privileged."

"All we _feel_ is assaulted," said Pipsqueak

Button Mash looked angrily at the two fillies. "Give us a break! Why don't you go do things with your own friends?" Then his lip curved into a half smile. "Oh wait a minute… you probably don't have any."

The two fillies suddenly looked very offended. Diamond Tiara whirled on him, her expression burning. "What. Did. You. Say?!"

However, Button wasn't backing down. He stood his ground, and continued to call out the insufferable pink tyrant. "You heard me! Maybe if you weren't such a jerk, maybe ponies would actually like you two! Heh, I'll bet everypony is glad they don't have to put up with you on the field trip!"

"How… _dare_ you?!" Diamond Tiara shouted, her face twisting with her growing rage. Silver Spoon said nothing, but stood glaring indignantly at the boys.

Then Pipsqueak spoke up again. "Just you wait, Diamond Tiara. One of these days your bad attitude is gonna get you exactly what you deserve."

Diamond stomped a hoof forward, looming over the shorter Pipsqueak. "Oh, yeah? And what's that?"

 _Bonk!_

 _Bing!_

Without warning, the two red and yellow bouncy balls finally came down from their return trip and landed right on Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon's heads.

"Ahhhhhh!"

"Oooouuuucccchhh!"

The fillies let out pained whimpers, hooves immediately going to their heads to rub the sore spots as the balls rolled on the ground.

At that moment Spike and First base came running over. "There they are!" Spike knelt down and picked them both up in his claws, neither him nor Base appearing to notice the ironic justice their toys had just served up to the two snot-nosed fillies. Pipsqueak and Button pressed their lips together with their cheeks puffing out, fighting to contain their laughter.

"Whoa, they really don't lie. They were so far up I lost track of them," Spike said.

First Base was quick to retort. "I think _mine_ was the winner."

"No way! Let's settle it with a rematch!"

"Bring it!"

 _"_ _You stupid boys!"_

The sudden shouts made both of them look over. Diamond and Silver Spoon stared at them angrily, their narrowed eyes pricking with traces of tears.

The boys just stared confused at the two.

"…Huh?" came Base's intelligible reply.

Without another word Diamond jerked her head away and went galloping away to the left, Silver Spoon following close behind.

"My father will hear about this!" she cried, just before they both disappeared out of view.

Spike and Base could only stare after them, baffled.

"What was all that about?"

"Beats me."

Button trotted over, his face wide with joy. "Nice going, guys! You scared them away!"

Spike just tilted his head with a questioning look, still oblivious. Pipsqueak, who had just finished picking up the board and scattered chess pieces, joined them. "Hello Spike, First Base!" he said cheerfully.

His entry caused First Base to raise a confused eyebrow at him. "Pipsqueak? What are you doing here? I thought you'd be on the class field trip to Appleoosa?"

The skewbald colt shook his head. "Afraid not. My parents and I just got back from visiting Trottingham for a week, so I couldn't make it. We didn't get back in until four o'clock yesterday," he explained.

"So what'cha doing?" asked Button.

Spike held up the two rubber balls enthusiastically. "We're having a contest. We're trying to see which bouncy ball can go higher."

Pipsqueak wagged his tail, eager to join in on the fun. "Can we watch? We can be your judges."

"Sure!" Spike replied with a smile. "The more the merrier."

Taking his ball back from the little dragon, First Base stood a few feet apart from Spike and faced him.

"Now we'll have someone else to watch me win!"

"Hah! We'll just see about that."

The two stanced while Pipsqueak and Button made the call.

"Ready…"

"Go!"

Another hard downward throw and the balls rocketed into the air once again. Placing their hooves and claws above their eyes to block out the sun, they all watched for the first sign of the balls. Again they had gone way high up beyond their sight. But after a minute, Button pointed up and exclaimed, "Hey, here they come!"

Sure enough the tiny dots of the bouncy balls came falling down. Seemingly evenly paced.

But then a shape cut across their sightline. A gray pegasus mare with a light blonde mane and bubbles on her flank casually flying around abruptly passed underneath the falling spheres. Spike's red ball landed smack on top of her hindquarters and sprang off in a wide arch. While the mare jumped and looked around, blushing as she sought the source of whatever had just spanked her, Spike looked on horrified as his ball began to head towards town.

"Hey! My ball!"

His contest forgotten, the panicked dragon went running after his escaping toy, leaving the slightly regretful group of colts behind.

===============  
 **12:09 PM**

 **The Dragon Lands**  
===============

The middle of nowhere.

It wasn't the magical dimension of ponies as a whole.

It wasn't the rocky mountain he'd been chased through.

It wasn't even the unwilling airdrop into the nest of Equestrian military.

 _Now_ , Sonic was certain, he was in the middle of nowhere.

All around him was an empty, desolate, rocky wasteland. He had spent a good twenty minutes roaming up and down this part of the landscape, and there was nothing. Not a soul to be found. It was seemingly surrounded by nothing but bleak crags and ashen skies. Not even tumbleweeds seemed to drift about. _'_ _Sheesh… talk about a bleak place. Nothing but rocks and ash around here. Heck, even Sand Hill was nicer to look at.'_ He absentmindedly kicked a flat stone and sent it skipping across the rough ground. "Half surprised there's no green giant in a white cape and turban out here in this wasteland." Seeing nothing worthwhile to do here and no one potentially helpful, Sonic shook out his leg and was about to make tracks due east, when a voice interrupted him.

"Well, well, well. What have we got here?"

The sound of wings flapping and several impactful thuds of something heavy landing on the ground preceded the voice.

Turning his head around, Sonic suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu. More than a half dozen dragons, not so different in size from Ultimo, gathered behind him.

At the head of the group was a red, long-snouted one. The way this one looked at him and carried himself screamed 'bully' in Sonic's head. His face immediately hardened.

One of the others, a white male with tall reddish spines on his head came up beside Garble and prodded him in the side with his elbow. "Look at this weirdo, Garble. What do you think it is?"

Garble as he was apparently called, grinned meanly. "I dunno. Looks like a freaky little hedgehog that lost his way."

Sonic went flat-faced. _'It's pretty sad when the dragon version of Ogre is the only one so far to get my species right.'_

"Actually, _Yoshi_ , I know exactly where I need to be. Far away from wherever _you_ jokers are." With a flippant wave of his hand, Sonic started marching away without even looking at them.

His choice in the matter was unfortunately taken from him when Garble suddenly landed in front of him. The dragon's jaw was clenched angrily. "Hold on one second there, you little blue squirt! Was that disrespect I heard? Do you not know where you are?"

"A bad car insurance commercial?" Sonic quipped.

Not understanding enough to respond back or not caring, Garble monologued on. "You're in the Dragonlands! Home of… er, well, dragons!" He seethed, flexing out his wings. "We're the biggest, strongest, baddest creatures in all Equestria! Griffons don't mess with us, and all those puny little ponies shake like little babies at the sight of us! You know what that means? It means _everyone_ around here shows us respect! If they know what's good for 'em." He crossed his arms and bared his teeth in a wicked smile. "So whaddya think about that?"

"I think Vincent Tong deserves better," Sonic answered, completely uninterested. "Now if it's all the same to you, I'm busy. I've had a rough couple of days, and I don't feel like hanging around for whatever _this_ is." He turned on his heel and started to walk away. He didn't get more than a few feet before Garble landed before him again.

"You're not going anywhere, pinhead!" he growled. "I don't appreciate your attitude. So I think me and the boys are gonna have to teach you a little respect. Dragon style."

The dragons began to close in around Sonic in a ring, blocking his way out and grinning fiercely. The hedgehog just groaned and massaged his temples. _'Here we go again.'_ He turned about to the reptilian teenagers. "Okay, look fellas. It's been a really rough twenty-four hours. I'm really not in the mood to deal with you wild Charizards right now. So here's the deal: you back off right now, and I _don't_ introduce your faces to the dirt."

His remark only seemed to anger them further. They growled, swishing their tails and cracking their knuckles. A couple snorted smoke from their nostrils.

Resigned to his fate, Sonic exhaled and tightened a fist. His eyes narrowed on Garble, singling him out.

"Okay. You asked for it."

 **XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

 _ **(1) My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (Rock Cover) (**_ ** _/d-JzRfgFmW0_** _ **)**_

 _ **(2) Rock the Dragon Cover (**_ ** _/zF8Ch-iy3Ro_** _ **)**_


	6. Rolling Around at the Speed of Sound

==========  
 **11:57 PM**  
 **Manehattan**  
==========

 _Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!_

A pair of dull brown eyes slowly opened, the harsh, repetitive buzzing of an alarm clock rousing the pony from her slumber. The mare sat up in her bed. A long, unkempt mess of a mane hung in her face. Blowing the green strands out of her eyes, she numbly glanced around.

Her room, dimly lit from the traces of light that cracked through the blinds, was of course the same as it always was. The same room. The same alarm clock. The same door to her bathroom. The same striped sweater dangling over the chair where she had randomly discarded it the night before, not having the drive or care to put it in the laundry basket.

Another day had come. Another unremarkable day that seemed to blur together with all the others. Each one as monotonous and stagnant as the one before it. She kicked her sheets away, slid out of bed, exited her room, and walked down the stairs.

When she turned the corner at the bottom of the staircase, she found an empty kitchen, save for the half empty cup of coffee that had been left on the right of the sink. Coming closer, she saw a sheet of paper taped to the bottom of an overhanging cabinet. A note was scribbled onto it:

 _Dear Wallflower,_

 _Had to run out for a town hall meeting today. Your father also has a conference and probably won't be home till late. Breakfast is in the fridge, help yourself._

 _Mom_

Not even a single mention of remembering the supposed plans for today. A melancholy sigh escaped her lips. Why was she not surprised? She didn't even bother with whatever leftovers may have been in the fridge to warm up. Instead she just grabbed an apple from the basket of fruit on the counter, took a bite, and headed back upstairs. Up she climbed, grabbing a towel from the linen closet across from her room, stepping back through her door, around her bed, and into her bathroom.

I mean, why would anyone remember? Why would her own family put in a little more effort to pay attention to her today?

It was only her birthday.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Wallflower trudged listlessly down the straightway road of Yearling Lane. The commotion of the lively city ponies around her went practically unnoticed, drowned out by her own internal haze. Completely oblivious to the flower stand, newspaper booth, and fruit shake vendor she passed along the way. A camera dangled from a strap around her neck, swaying steadily with her every step.

If she had been given the choice, she would still be in her comfy bed. Now it wasn't that she disliked her job as a freelance photographer. But after this morning, she wasn't looking forward to the whole 'interaction with other ponies' thing right now. The thought of having to drag herself to work for what was sure to amount to a short and very loud briefing didn't exactly do wonders for her mood. Unfortunately, one does not simply ignore a direct call from the publisher of the Equestria Daily. She had been called in for an update, and there was no getting out of it. Alas, the Manehattan news cycle machine seemed to know no off day. Or at least that's what her supervisor would always say.

So here she was. Plodding to work, on the weekend, on her _birthday_ no less, to more than likely get yelled at by her boss. As she walked past a large puddle on the street beside her, a sarcastic thought popped into her head:

 _'_ _What else could go wrong today?'_

The irony gods must have been listening.

On her left, some shape shot past her at so high a velocity, it sent a wave of water from the big puddle it had went through splashing over her, soaking Wallflower from tip to tail.

Shock. Disgust. Disbelief. They all worked to light a spark of anger in Wallflower. Before she even had time to vocalize, there was a jarring set of beeps that made her look down.

The small bulb on her camera back of her camera was flashing red while the whole thing made a series of odd, discombobulated noises, clearly signifying a malfunction. Wallflower's mouth opened with dismay. She couldn't believe it. Some idiot had not only just carelessly soaked her person – they had broken her only camera. Her only means of income was shot.

Her jaw tightened and teeth grit together, the fire of anger burning its way to the surface. All of her frustration, unsaid feelings and stress finally boiled over as she raised her head and screamed to the heavens:

"CAN'T ANY OF YOU JUST GIVE ME A BREAK FOR ONE DAMN DAY?!"

She fell to her haunches, dropped her chest to the floor, buried her face in her hooves and wept. Months on years of repressed negative feelings spilled over into racking, uncontrollable sobs. The startled turned heads caused by her outburst, and the increasingly uncomfortable bystanders stepping away from her were lost on her ears. The dam of feelings long unacknowledged had finally burst, unleashed in one emotional deluge.

Wallflower wasn't sure how long she sat there crying. Only that at some point, when the sounds of her own bawling no longer drowned out the world around her, she could sense someone standing in front of her. Stirring with anger again, she tore her hooves away and swerved her head up, ready to scream at the pony to leave her alone.

The last thing she expected to see was the gloved hand of a blue creature offering her a towel.

"Sorry about that, girly. You alright?"

Sonic looked down at the soaked green pony, his face filled with pity. He hadn't meant to get her wet. And he sure didn't intend to be the proverbial final straw on the camel of her mood. Even as far as he'd made it after he hit the puddle, her shout was loud enough to catch his attention and draw him back to take a look. …From a safe distance, initially.

Wallflower's first thought was pure, stupefied awe at the outlandish looking creature standing before her. When she finally had the sense to snap out of her trance, her second was only slight annoyance, her burst of emotion tempered by his thoughtful act.

"Um… y-yeah, I guess…" She took the towel from him and wiped her face and hair in it.

A myriad of reactions ran through her head. Mostly confusion and annoyance for this blue… thing. Not to mention her still present, albeit dulled anger at her camera being ruined.

As she cleaned herself off, Sonic looked the mare up and down. He seemed to notice the broken device. Feeling bad, he looked past her, back in the direction he had come. Once his eyes found his target, he smiled and disappeared in a rush of air.

Feeling the gust, a perplexed Wallflower gave her hair a few last cleansing ruffles with the towel and uncovered her face. Imagine her surprise when she saw the hedgehog standing there, as if he had never moved. But now had a pretty white flower in hand, holding it out to her with a charming smile.

"Sorry again about the water works, Greenie. Didn't mean to ruin you day," he said in a sympathizing tone.

For a moment, Wallflower just stared, completely taken aback by the act. Eventually, she slowly unfurled a hoof and took the lily. Its pleasant aroma tickled her nose as she looked at its pretty white petals. She couldn't help smile, her cheeks turning a light shade of red.

The hedgehog softly scratched his chin. He still felt like there was more he could do. "Oh!" He suddenly snapped his fingers, remembering something. Wallflower watched as he reached up into his quills and pulled out a small sack, tossing it to the pony. She squeaked as she awkwardly caught it, and was surprised at the metallic jingle she heard from inside.

"What… What's this?" she asked.

Sonic just smiled. "A friend of mine says you guys use those for money, right? Hope that covers it."

Once again Wallflower found herself lost for words. The kind gesture, and the ease with which he seemed so willing to make it, was flabbergasting. Such things were practically unheard of in the City of Everpony For Themselves. In mere minutes he'd acknowledged her, apologized, extended an olive branch, and was now offering to fix what he'd broken. Kindness that Wallflower rarely saw. Her eyes again grew glossy, though this time from joy. Any immediate questions of who or what he was were forgotten.

Before Sonic could carry on, something from out the corner of his eye drew his attention. Glancing across the street, he saw a few random ponies whispering to each other, their eyes fixed on him. A passing dark purple stallion with puffy blonde hair and red, heart-shaped glasses went wide eyed as Sonic made eye contact, vague recognition dawning on his face before he galloped in the opposite direction.

The reality of his fugitive situation came rushing back. Sonic suddenly felt the need to be somewhere else. Anywhere else.

"Aaaand I think that's my cue. Later Greenie," he said, getting ready to make tracks.

Confusion mixed with Wallflower's overwhelming sense of elation. And in a moment of pure photographer's instinct, she reacted. She had to save this. If even for her own personal contentment. She quickly held out her hoof and shouted,

"Wait!"

Sonic faltered midstep, looking over his shoulder at her with a quizzical expression.

Wallflower looked here and there at the storefronts around her. She couldn't let this opportunity slip through her hooves. She had to see.

 _'_ _Hooftips Salon… Globo Gym… Aha!'_

Her eyes set on the familiar logo of Perfect Purchase. The camera equipment store. Without another word she bolted across the street and through its door.

Sonic stood there a moment, awkwardly scratching his head. The looks and murmurs from other ponies were getting more and more widespread. Luckily he didn't have to wait long as Wallflower came bursting out of the store and back in front of him, a brand new camera in hoof. She looked at him nervously.

"Can… can I…?"

Realizing what she wanted, Sonic chuckled. "Make sure you get my good side." He leaned against a fire hydrant, gave a thumbs up, and posed for her.

Wallflower's whole face lit up. She aimed the camera at him and, _click!_ With a soft flash, the photo printed out.

And just in time too. Sonic then noticed the glasses-wearing stallion was back. And he'd brought what looked like a female, orange-maned police officer. Sonic immediately sweat dropped.

"Uh oh, it's the fuzz. Looks like it's time to juice!" He spun his feet underneath him and began to charge up to dash out of there.

"H-Hold on! I still have so many questions!" she cried desperately. But it was too late. He sped away, her voice falling on deaf ears.

Wallflower and several other ponies shielded their eyes from the sudden gust of wind left in his wake. She glanced up at the trail of fading dust, then back to the photo in her hoof. A genuine, happy smile grew across her face. But a question still lingered on her mind.

"Who was that blue guy…?"

=========  
 **12:02 PM**  
 **Ponyville**  
=========

"Come back!"

Spike bounded through the marketplace, hot on the trail of his runaway red ball. Surrounding ponies looked on in bewilderment as he chased it, the rubber toy bounced in long, wide arcs through the street. It bounded over ponies and past a sales booth with a wheelbarrow full of carrots, Spike chasing after it as fast as his little legs could carry him.

Coming down from a particularly high bounce, the ball hit the corner of a rooftop and shot off at a sudden angle. It flew through the air towards a flying row of mover ponies, and hit the lead mare directly in the nose. Parasol's sudden stop to instinctively hold her sore snout caused Sunshower to bump face first into her rump, unbalancing the heavy package on her back. It tilted off and plummeted down–

–falling right into the carrot-filled wheelbarrow. Crushing a lot of its content, collapsing it, and causing the rest of the orange cargo to roll away

"My carrots!" screamed the vendor.

Spike was so focused on retrieving his runaway toy, he would have been blind to the bedlam left in his wake – if he hadn't run atop the spilling vegetables and slipped. The unsuspecting little dragon wasn't aware of the hazard until he was already sideways in the air. He fell flat on his back, grunting as a bolt of pain shout through his left shoulder. He grasped it, gingerly sitting up.

His ball flew over an adjacent house, coming down towards the back of a pony carrying an umbrella. Just when it got within a few feet of its carrier, the pony flipped her umbrella upside down, gracefully catching the ricocheting rubber in the curve of the parasol. The pony picked up the small red toy and examined it, her lip curling into a bemused smile.

"Children. Always with their toys."

Barely a minute later, Spike came scampering around the corner, looking around frantically for any trace of his toy. But it seemed to be fruitless. Thanks to those stupid carrots, he had lost sight of it completely. And now, seemingly had no hope of finding it. Anxiety started to build as he raced here and there, his head spinning back and forth in search of it.

"No no no no! It took me a million tries at the gumball machine to get that! Where is it–"

His worry was halted when he bumped into something, falling onto his backside for the second time that day. As he sat up and rubbed his head, a velvet voice addressed him.

"Is this what you're looking for, young dragon?"

Opening his eyes, Spike saw a clothed hoof holding out his rubber toy to him.

"My ball!" Spike rejoiced, taking it back and hugging it to his cheek. "I'll never lose you again! Oh, I can't thank you enough!" he said, finally looking up at this good Samaritan.

Standing before him was a mare he had never seen before. Her unusually tall height was the first thing that struck him; followed by her attire. The black kimono that wrapped around most of her body featured red edges on the sleeves and collar, the ends decorated in orange and white orchid patterns. Two separate fabrics, a larger pink one with dangling trimmings, and a thinner red piece made up the obi that held the robe in place. A round tuft of white cotton decorated the back of the sash.

Her coat was burgundy. Her black hair was tied in a neat top knot. Her eyes, a dullish brown. And they carried a subtle intensity that was balanced by the gentle tenderness of her smile.

For a moment, Spike couldn't help but think how attractive this older mare was.

At some point he realized what he was doing and shook his head, coming back to reality. "Hey, I don't think I've ever seen you in Ponyville before. Are you new in town?"

The mare gave a small giggle. "In a manner of speaking. I recently learned an old friend had taken up residence here. I thought I might pay him a visit during my short travel away from home," she explained. Her eyes cast across his body, holding on his left side for just a moment. "You should be more careful with your things, little dragon. Lest your capers land you in a worse situation than a sore shoulder."

Spike sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, shifting said shoulder. She had a good eye. "Sorry about that… I guess our game got a little out of control. I'll be more careful next time."

"Wonderful. Now, don't you have somewhere to be, little dragon? I imagine Ms. Sparkle is waiting for you."

Alarm flashed across Spike's face. "Aw nuts, you're right! I'm gonna be late!" He turned on his heels and raced away, waving a hand to her as he left. "Thanks again, miss!"

The mare's gaze followed the retreating dragon, a soft smile upon her face. "You're quite welcome, little one." She turned back down the road towards the center of town, and continued on her way.

As Spike hustled through Ponyville, he inwardly cheered at his good fortune of getting his ball back. He looked at the shiny red rubber ecstatically. "Man, I was really worried for a minute there. It's a good thing I ran into that nice lady. She really–"

His thoughts suddenly ground to a halt; his run slowed to a stop, several questions suddenly bubbling up.

"Wait a minute… how did she know I was supposed to meet with Twilight?" Spike asked himself. Come to think of it, he had left in such a hurry he had forgotten to ask her name. He would have mulled all these questions over longer if not for his schedule.

"Eh, questions for later. I gotta go. Don't wanna keep Twilight waiting any longer than I already have." Putting the matter aside, he hurried down the street towards the library.

==========  
 **12:13 PM**  
 **Appleloosa**  
==========

"All aboard!" called the conductor. The engine of the Friendship Express huffed and sputtered, smoke spouting from its chimney as it gave a shrill whistle. A long line of fillies and colts shuffled onto the train one by one. Cheerilee brought up the rear, counting each of them in her head.

The class trip to Appleloosa had gone off without a hitch. The idea had first come to her from the excited recounting of Apple Bloom. A story of their six local heroines and their adventure involving the settler ponies and a herd of buffalo that roamed the desert region had traveled back to her through the young farm pony. After days of instance, class after class of the professed need to see a buffalo with her own eyes, Cheerilee decided that perhaps a field trip to the desert town could offer a valuable lesson on cooperation with others. She wouldn't have the rewarding overnight stay be ruined with a hapless foal being left behind.

"Come along now! Everypony on the train! Single file!" she called, ushering the students along.

Braeburn and Sheriff Silverstar stood nearby. Braeburn was smiling cheerfully, waving goodbye to the departing school children. Silverstar stood apart from him, watchful and steady. Both stallions had volunteered to help chaperone the class during their stay, and now were there to see the youngsters off.

"This was awesome!" said Scootaloo with an excited flutter of her wings. "I can't believe I got to see a real life buffalo! Maybe next time I can bring my scooter, so I can race with them!"

Sweetie Belle smiled up at Braeburn. "Thanks for having us, Braeburn," she said brightly. "It was great to see what you built for yourselves down here."

"Well shucks, you're mighty welcome little filly. And y'all are welcome to come back any time. Just all part of the hospitality that is _Aaaaaappleloosa!_ " he exclaimed, rearing up and throwing his hooves into the air with the last word.

Scootaloo cringed, looking at Sweetie Belle. "Does he always have to say it like that?"

Sweetie Belle could only shrug.

Applebloom came over to Silverstar, looking up inquisitively at the older stallion. "Say, Sheriff Silverstar. Did it all really happen like that? Your big fight with them buffalo?" she asked.

"'Fraid so, little one," Silverstar answered somewhat somberly. "We all got so caught up in having things our way, we never stopped to consider how we could accommodate each other. How maybe we take this little land of ours, and build something new. Something better. And to do it together. Heh, can't believe it took us nearly gettin' our entire home and me myself flattened for us to realize that."

"Whoowee… well, at least everything turned out alright in the end."

"Yeah, seems we were just lucky like that. You youngins make sure if you ever find yourselves in such a pickle, you start it off better than we did."

"I will, Sheriff Silverstar!" Applebloom beamed. "Maybe then they'll make _me_ a sheriff! First sheriff of Ponyville!"

Silverstar chuckled. "That so? Well then, I suppose you'll need something to make it official." With that, he took off his hat and placed it on the little filly's head.

Apple Bloom's eyes practically sparkled with joy. In a bout of excitement, she hopped and hugged the older stallion around his front leg. "Thanks a bunch, Sheriff!"

"You're quite welcome, little Apple," he said, patting her head with a smile.

"Girls!" Cheerilee called to the Crusaders from the doorway of train car, beckoning them with a waving hoof. "On the train, pronto!"

The trio gave a last group farewell to the old stallion. _"Bye Sheriff Silverstar!"_ They scampered to the train, past their teacher and through the door. Cheerilee bid a final wave to the two Appleloosans before the door shut and the train chugged out of the station.

"Look alive, Sheriff. That there's gonna be your own one of these days," Braeburn joked.

Silverstar chuckled again. "I hope I live to see the day."

* * *

About ten miles from Appleloosa, the dry ground of the desert began to shake. A sun bathing Gila monster raised its head before scurrying back into its burrow. Seconds later, dozens of heavy hooves suddenly trampled overhead.

A herd of buffalo steamrolled over the barren flat, the sound of their pounding hoof beats like rolling thunder.

Leading the charge was a young female buffalo. Her small stature and brighter colors were a glaring contrast to the stampeding behemoths behind her, her tangelo coat and light orange hair a shaft of gold in a rushing wave of dark bodies. Onward they charged, perfectly synchronized. As among their many hoof beats, their hearts beat steady and together as one.

Towards the back of the herd, one of them briefly looked to his right to survey their surroundings. And immediately did a double take. Two others joined him in his slack-jawed staring when they noticed the swift blue biped running next to them.

Sonic raised his hand and gave a short wave. "'Sup?"

Accelerating, he entered further into the herd of bison, weaving back and forth between the surprised bovine as he mad his way forward. Soon enough he had passed nearly all of them and made his way to the front, running right alongside the female in the lead. He gave the astonished young buffalo a wink before speeding up, outpacing her with each stride.

Little Strongheart was as surprised at the sudden addition to their stampede as the rest of the herd. But astonishment soon gave way to competitive interest. Smiling to herself, she pushed herself faster, pulling away from the thundering hooves behind her. In no time at all she was neck and neck with the hedgehog.

Sonic glanced over, noticing her smirk and returning it. "Well hey. Quick little thing, arent'cha?" he complimented. "You might be the fastest runner on four hooves I've seen so far. But lemme show you some _real_ speed!"

Without a moment's notice he swerved behind Little Strongheart and scooped her right off the ground, holding her by the stomach over his head. Before she could make even a peep of shock or protest, he blasted forward in a streak of blue, leaving a whipping trail of dust in his wake. Little Strongheart could only stare wide-eyed as she was taken along for the high speed ride. Her fur, cheeks, and feathered headband whipped in the wind like petals in a storm. She couldn't even close her eyes, so intense was the air current.

Her bullet train of a ride at last came to an end as a deafening screech of the hedgehog's feet squealing to a stop filled her ears. When they had finally come to a complete stop on the top of a tall ledge, Sonic gently put her down.

"Oh… my…" Little Strongheart said shakily, her legs still wobbly and shaking from the whole ordeal.

"Hehe, too much?" Sonic jibed.

She looked at him. Then out over the charming desert landscape that the cliff overlooked. Then back at him. Then she threw herself at him in an excited hug. "Wow! That was… and you were so… I mean… _wow!_ "

Sonic blinked, initially caught off guard by the glomp, but quickly loosened up and patted her back with a soft laugh.

The little buffalo abruptly stopped burying her face into his chest. She sniffed a few times, then pushed herself away from him, retching. "Bleh! Why do you smell like charcoal?"

Sonic rubbed his nose. "Eh, no important reason. Just a minor lizard problem. In any case, glad you enjoyed the ride. This isn't too far for you to find your way back, is it?" he asked.

Little Strongheart shook her head. "Oh no, we buffalo know just about every inch of these lands. Getting back to my herd should be easy enough."

"Good to know. Anyway, nice meeting you, feather cap. See you around!" He gave her a quick salute, and then dashed away in the direction of the sun.

Strongheart waved as he sped off. "Take care, Quilled Windrunner!"

* * *

Back in the Dragon Lands, a contorted, writhing mess of teenage dragons lay in a pile. Bruised, groaning, and in definite pain. The especially charred and smoking ground around them evidenced the fire-filled fracas that had just taken place. On the very bottom of the heap of muscle and scales, Garble's head stuck out from under a fat one's belly.

"Hate that hedgehog…"


	7. In Plain Sight

===================  
 **12:29 PM**  
 **Southern desert region**  
===================

Turning wheels rattled over the straight metal rails as the Friendship Express rolled through the bone-dry desert. Inside, the school children chattered jovially to each other, the experience of their field trip still giving them a fresh bout of excitement. In one booth, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom all sat together.

"What a great time!" Sweetie Belle chimed. "We finally got to see somewhere cool outside Ponyville!"

"Plus, no Diamond Tiara around to cramp our style," Scootaloo added, prompting laughter from the other two fillies. The trio gave a celebratory triple high hoof.

"An' best of all, I got a great souvenir!" Apple Bloom beamed, her newly acquired gift from Silver Star perched proudly on her head. That is, until it slipped down, covering her eyes.

"Don't you think that's a little big for you, Apple Bloom?" Sweetie Belle asked.

Apple Bloom readjusted it, unconcerned. "Ah, it's nothin'! I'll grow into it."

As the three kept talking, Cheerilee stood up and raised her voice over the chatter to address the class.

"Alright my little ponies! So tell me, did you enjoy your field trip?"

The class responded with a resounding, _"Yes Ms. Cheerilee!"_

She smiled. "I'm very glad. Let's take a moment to thank Apple Bloom for her– um, 'initiative' in recommending this trip to be organized. I think I speak for everypony when I say it was well worth it."

The young ponies responded with a round of applause and cheers. Apple Bloom smiled sheepishly, her cheeks coloring a soft tint of pink from her teacher and class's praise.

"You're certainly lucky to be able to see a part of Equestria so different from what you're used to. And it's just as important that you take a lesson from what you've seen these past two days."

While the rest of the class hung on Cheerilee's words, Apple Bloom quietly groaned to herself. She knew the 'boring teacherly lecture voice' when she heard it. Uninterested in listening to anymore classroom boiler, she leaned her cheek on her hoof and turned to gaze out the window.

"So, who can tell me the most important thing you've learned from your trip to Appleloosa?" Cheerilee asked. A few hooves went up.

"Buffalo smell kind of funny?"

"Appleoosa pies are even better than Ponyville ones?"

"I don't like sand!"

Cheerilee's struck a vacant stare on the last foal, Lickety Split, for a long moment. All the while resisting the urge to facehoof. She took a calming breath and continued.

"Perhaps _I_ should feel in some of the blanks… the important thing to take from this is that Equestria is full of all kinds of remarkable creatures, each with their own unique customs and ways of life." She paced a few steps through the train car, looking around at the young ponies. "And one day, it will be up to you as responsible citizens to meet and engage with them courteously and respectfully for the betterment of Equestria."

The colts and fillies murmured in agreement. Apple Bloom, however, was still lost in her own world, her eyes wandering over the dry landscape rushing by outside the window.

That is until she noticed something. Something in the distance. She squinted, trying to make it out. And her expression gradually morphed into one of surprise, her eyes widening and mouth opening. She half turned her head to call back to her teacher.

"Um… Ms. Cheerilee?"

Cheerilee looked over her shoulder at the filly. "Yes, Apple Bloom?"

"What kind'a creature has blue fur, a spiky head, and runs really really fast?"

Cheerilee cocked her head, looked utterly confused. The rest of the class turned in her direction, baffled by the odd question.

"Apple Bloom, what in Celestia's name are you on about?" asked Scootaloo.

Sweetie Belle responded with similar confusion. "That has to be the weirdest riddle I've ever heard."

"It's no riddle! Look!" Apple Bloom exclaimed, pointing out the window.

Following her hoof, the other two Crusaders scooted closer to the window to see what she was looking at. When they saw it, their mouths fell open. Barely fifteen feet away was the blue form of Sonic running alongside the train.

"What in Equestria is that?!" Scootaloo nearly shouted, wings fluttering.

The other foals flocked to the windows on their side of the train, trying to get a better view. The sight of the Mobian brought stares and gasps from the passengers. Lickety Split scampered between the Crusaders' seats and perched his head up to the window, his face filling with astonishment.

"It's a… it's a… Ms. Cheerilee, what is it?"

Cheerilee, who'd made her way over to the seat directly behind the crusaders', peered out the window with amazement. "I… do not know. I don't think I've ever seen a creature like that before."

A pink haired earth pony a few rows back gazed out at Sonic with amazement, starting to speak in her soft voice. "I think I know what he is, he's a–"

"It's gotta be a new, rare species of super evolved squirrel!"

"Maybe it's a giant porcupine that got his fur dyed?"

"Or maybe it's a thylacine!"

"A what?"

The chatter of the class drowned her out, and she shrunk in on herself a bit, awkwardly rubbing her hooves together.

"Maybe it's a hedgehog," Sweetie Belle interrupted the rest of them, looking thoughtfully at Sonic while rubbing her chin. "The thin nose, the quills, the spines on his back? I'm not sure about most of him, but those parts look a lot like a hedgehog if I ever saw one."

Again, Lily tried to speak. "That's what _I_ was going to–"

"That's ridiculous!" Scootaloo declared, cutting the filly off, who looked away dejectedly. "What kind of hedgehog has such a big head and stands on two legs? And wears _gloves_? No _real_ creature could look like that! That'd be totally stupid. It's gotta be some weird, mutated freak of magic or something."

"Or maybe it's some twisted, evil creature that escaped from Tarturus…" Twist shivered.

"I dunno," Apple Bloom commented, "Don't look like anything bad to me."

"Well, look at him go!" Lickety Split piped up again, knocking on the glass. "He's as fast as a speeding train!"

Outside the train Sonic's ear twitched, catching the colt's tapping, and he looked to his right at the train windows. A good portion of the young ponies suddenly held their breath.

"H-He heard you…" Snips stammered, shrinking his head down so that only his eyes peered over the glass.

The ponies stared nervously back at the alien.

Sonic smiled and made a sudden swerve towards the train. In a few seconds he was right beside tracks, mere feet away from the windows. Cheerilee and the students awkwardly held his gaze, waiting, wondering what this strange creature might do.

Thankfully, their fears were allayed when Sonic flashed them a peace sign.

Lickety Split laughed. "Cool! Do some tricks! Do some tricks!"

Evidently, the blue Mobian could make that out through the window too. Flashing a confirming grin, he did a couple of jumps, twists, and midair poses, eliciting 'oohs' and 'aahs' from the audience of school children.

"First buffalo, now this? I'm seein' a whole lot'a creatures I ain't never seen before these past two days!" Apple Bloom bubbled.

All the students started bunching up into the seats on the left side of the train, until all the sections nearest Sonic were crowded with eager little ponies clambering for a better view, cheering on the show.

"Awesome!"

"So cool!"

Scootaloo, however, didn't look all that impressed. "Big deal. I could do that too," she scoffed.

As the others clambered for a better view, pushing started breaking out between some of them. One retaliatory shove from a purple-haired unicorn filly sent Snips tumbling backwards from off his seat.

"Don't push!" Cheerilee chided, going over to help him.

Apple Bloom was also feeling just as cramped. A bunch of foals had all but swamped the window space, and Lickety Split's elbow kept stabbing into her ribs.

"I can't see a thing like this!" she complained.

Finally getting fed up, she squeezed herself out of the mass of ponies and into the aisle. Sweetie Belle was also there, shaking out her mane, which the other rushing ponies had messed up. Apple Bloom headed immediately down the aisle towards the door at the other side of the car.

"Apple Bloom, where do you think you're going?"

"To get a better look, o'course!" she said back. Silver Star's big hat slipped down over her eyes again, forcing her to adjust it before she opened the door.

"Apple Bloom, wait!" Sweetie Belle called, but her friend slipped through the door and left her behind. She scampered after her, leaving Scootaloo as the lone crusader left in the car.

Scootaloo hissed her teeth, not particularly keen on the idea of getting involved in all this. But inevitably, she groaned and trudged out of her seat, running along after them.

Meanwhile, Snips was up on his hooves again thanks to some help from Cheerilee. "That hurt…" he moaned, climbing back up to his seat. "Thanks Ms. Cheerilee."

"Just be more careful, Snips," she cautioned.

"I will. I'd hate to have to go through that again–"

Suddenly, and without warning, there was a powerful rumbling. A tremor shook the ground, making the Friendship Express rattle and rock. Snips immediately stumbled backwards and fell out of his chair again, landing awkwardly on the back of his neck and hitting his head on the floor. The student's cheering went mute, replaced by panicked gasps and screams.

Cheerilee was stunned. _'An earthquake? Out here in the desert? But there aren't any fault lines for miles!'_

"Everypony keep your heads down and hold on tight!" she shouted out to the class.

The foals ducked down and grabbed their seat backs, the train sides, each other, and any steady surface they could find as they held on for dear life. The loud, violent shaking of the train warped the windows and slid the small ponies around in their booths. A few in the back of the train whimpered, fearing certain doom.

And then, strangely, as quickly as it came, the earthquake was gone. Again everything was still. The train, quiet, save for Snips groaning on the floor while he held the back of his head. One by one ponies gingerly lifted their heads up when they thought it was safe.

Lickety Split was the one to break the silence:

"What was that?"

* * *

Apple Bloom quickly made her way across the gangway connection and into the conveniently empty second train car. Her run was only slowed by the sudden tremor that rocked the train. But she was able to grab onto the edge of a booth, and quickly resumed running once it passed, barely even phased by the tremor. She wasn't about to miss a close-up view of this weird-looking, two-legged thing. Her hooves carried her across the car, through the opposite door, and into the second open platform car led only by the engine.

She stood herself up on the edge of the car with her hooves on the railing, leaning over the side.

"Apple Bloom!"

Sweetie Belle's call came from behind her, the young unicorn having finally caught up with her. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked. Scootaloo followed through the door behind her a moment later.

"Ain't it obvious?" Apple Bloom replied, looking at her. "Y'all saw how quick that blue thingy was. We wait up here, we'll have the best view in the house!"

"That's not the point. I don't think we're allowed to be up here," Sweetie Belle stressed. "Especially without even telling Ms. Cheerilee."

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "I don't see what the big deal is. It's just one freaky-looking furball."

Apple Bloom turned to her in disbelief. "You outta your mind, Scootaloo? When's the next time you'll be able to say you saw somethin' like this?" She looked back out to the arid wasteland around them. "Now just wait and see. With how that big thing was hightailin' it, I bet you'll be able to see him any… look, here he comes!"

Sure enough, Sonic's blue body came creeping up into view a few yards from the side of the car. Sweetie Belle's, cautious yet intrigued, stood up next to Apple Bloom against the car railing to look.

"Wowza…" she marveled.

Only reluctantly and with much chagrin did Scootaloo finally give in too, joining them on the ledge. As Sonic crossed in front of their view, Apple Bloom took the direct approach and waved eagerly.

"Hi mister blue thing!"

But as she called out, she leaned just a bit too far outside the railing. The whipping air outside the rolling train caught under the brim of her loose hat and blew it right off her head, throwing her souvenir into the wind. The little filly couldn't do anything except reach out helplessly, pangs of loss and distress instantly flooding her.

"My hat! No!"

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo grabbed her as she lunged, keeping her inside the train car.

"Are you crazy, Apple Bloom?!" Scootaloo shouted as she held on tightly to her friend's barrel. "You'll break every bone in your body!"

"But that was a gift from Sheriff Silver Star! I was supposed to take care of it! We gotta go back!" Apple Bloom cried, her voice high and tight with despair.

"We can't stop now, Apple Bloom!" said Sweetie Belle. "We're in the middle of the desert, there's no way we can reverse! You've just gotta let it go!"

"Noooo!"

The commotion made Sonic look over. He saw the three fussing fillies, and the hat tossing in the wind, and quickly deduced their plight. In an instant he ceased his run, braking and sliding on his heels, and running back in the opposite direction.

All three of the Cutie Mark Crusaders paused when they saw the hedgehog suddenly reverse.

"What's it doing?" Scootaloo asked out loud.

"I don't know," Sweetie Belle began. She squinted as she looked out in the direction he had went, only for her eyes to widen a moment later. "But I think we're about to find out!"

A blue streak shot past the train, a low trail of dust and debris kicking up in front of it as it came far faster than what they'd seen before. And it was heading right for them.

"Hit the deck!" Scootaloo shouted.

All three of them threw themselves down, covered their heads, and squeezed their eyes shut. A blast of air 'whooshed' in front of the open car frame, sprinkles of dust peppering the wood floor around them. And then, there was nothing. Nothing outside the familiar, persistent huffing of the train's engine.

Sweetie Belle was the first one to crack her eyes open. When she lifted her head up and saw what was waiting, shock overtook her face. She shook her friends' shoulders frantically.

"Girls! Look!"

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom opened their eyes, and were surprised to see Sonic running right next to them, mere inches from the railing's edge. A good-natured smile on his face, and Apple Bloom's hat in his hands.

"Lose something?" He extended his arms, offering it back to the fillies.

Apple Bloom's expression turned from shock to joy. "My hat!" She reached out and took back her precious cargo, giving the hedgehog the biggest smile she could manage. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Sonic grinned. "No problem." And then he accelerated and went zooming off ahead, easily outpacing the train.

"Whoa! Did you see that?" Sweetie Belle remarked, looking out over the railing after him. "He's fast!"

"And he saved my hat!" Apple Bloom cheered, snuggling her muzzle into her souvenir. "Oh, thank Celestia! I'll never lose you again!"

While Apple Bloom rejoiced over getting her gift back, Sweetie Belle nudged Scootaloo in the ribs with her elbow, smirking. "So, what do you think of that 'freaky-looking furball' now?" she gibed.

Scootaloo pursed her lip, avoiding eye contact. "Alright… maybe this wasn't _that_ much of a letdown."

Apple Bloom continued to celebrate to herself. "This! Is! AMAZING! A cross-Equestria visit, a great present from the sheriff, _and_ I got to meet a cool looking critter face to face? There's no way this day could possibly get any better!"

"Ahem."

Somepony clearing their throat made each of the fillies flinch. They turned around, and there stood Ms. Cheerilee, staring down at the three of them with a most unhappy look on her face.

Sweetie Belle gulped. "I don't think you knew how right you were, Apple Bloom…"

================  
 **12:33 PM**  
 **Edge of Ponyville**  
================

Twilight trotted along the dirt path leading out and away from Ponyville's central hub, saddlebags strapped to her sides. Her faithful dragon assistant had rejoined her and now rode on her back while they went about their daily errands.

"Alright Spike, let's go over the list of things for today once more. You have it?"

Spike confidently pulled out the rolled up list. "Got it right here."

"Excellent! Now let's review: return Pinkie Pie's recipe book?"

"Check."

"Order a new set of parchment and quills? …Again?"

"Check."

"Help Cheerilee move the posters, new pulley, and the two spare curtains for the show this weekend?"

"Check, check, and double check."

"Well then, it looks like we're right on schedule."

She then peered back at Spike, her pleasant tone breaking a bit as she frowned at him. "Or at least we _would_ be if you hadn't been so late. Seriously, Spike. You were fifteen whole minutes late today! That's even more than what I usually factor in for your typical three to five and a half minutes! What kept you?"

Spike scratched a claw into his cheek with a meek expression. "Sorry about that, Twilight. First Base and I had a little accident when we were playing earlier. Almost lost my ball in town. But it's alright, a nice stranger helped me out," he said with a smile.

Twilight arched a brow. "Nice stranger?"

"Mhm. Tall, kind of red, carries a funny looking umbrella."

Twilight looked up in thought. "Hmm, doesn't sound like anypony I've ever seen before. And you outta be more responsible with your things, Spike."

"I'm not a baby, Twilight," Spike said, crossing his arms and doing his best to ignore the fact that the pretty mare from before had told him the exact same thing.

"In any case, what's next on the checklist?"

Looking back to the list, Spike read off the next item. "Drop off a copy of the next Daring Do book at Rainbow Dash's place." He paused, looking up. "Speaking of which we're here!"

Sure enough, Rainbow Dash's floating cloud house was right in front of them. With a shine of her horn, Twilight teleported the two of them off the ground and up to the front door. Twilight had aptly remembered to cast the cloud walking spell on both Spike and herself before they got here. She raised her hoof and knocked on the door.

"Rainbow Dash?" She pushed the door open and stepped inside, looking around. "Rainbow Dash, it's me!"

"And me too!" Spike added.

"I've got that next copy of Daring Do you asked for! Are you home? Rainbow Dash?"

As Spike hopped down off her back, Twilight turned about as the two looked and listened for their rainbow-maned friend. Spike looked left and right before giving a shrug.

"Guess she isn't here."

Hardly a second after the words left his mouth, a multi-colored blur whooshed across his sight line at a high velocity, flying into the house from a window on the right and crashing into Twilight with a thud. Rainbow Dash had ended up awkwardly splayed on Twilight's back, laying backwards on top of her with her haunches on the mare's shoulders. The whole thing gave Spike a serious sense of déjà vu to when they first met the brash pegasus.

"Found her."

"Ugh…" Twilight groaned, blowing the hair of her pegasus friend's tail out of her face. "Hello, Rainbow Dash."

Glancing back, Rainbow chuckled sheepishly.

"Hehe, sorry about that Twilight." She flapped her wings and lifted herself off of her and into the air. "I was just doing my mane."

The two looked at Rainbow Dash as if she'd grown a second set of wings.

"Doing… your mane?" asked a confused Spike.

"Yup! I always start the day with a few flybys through some clouds. No better way to style!" Rainbow responded, giving her mane a flip.

Twilight rolled her eyes with a small smile. Only Rainbow Dash would high speed flying into a grooming practice. Lighting her horn again, she opened her saddle bag and drew out a book.

"Anyway, we came by to give you that book you asked me about last week. The next volume of the Daring Do series," she said, presenting it to her.

Rainbow's face lit up with excitement. "Awesome!" She grabbed the book and did a loop in the air before straightening herself up.

"Daring Do and the Eternal Flower," she read excitedly off the cover.

"I think you'll really enjoy it," Twilight grinned, starting to go into gushing nerd mode. "In it, she has to work her way from an event hosted by the Equestrian Botanical Society with her– oops, heh, I shouldn't spoil it for you. You've just got to read it yourself."

Rainbow smiled brightly in anticipation. It sounded like all the things she loved about Daring Do. Secret treasures, epic adventures, mortal peril.

And then she suddenly felt a lot less happy. Her giddy expression shifted for a moment, becoming sullen.

It was everything she wished she had.

"Y-Yeah, it uh… looks great!" She drooped back down onto the floor, her face and he tone faltering. "I'm sure it'll be a… real blast."

Twilight didn't notice the shift in attitude, distracted as she was with her excited rambling. She trailed off into a monologue about A.K. Yearling's creative genius, and wondering what sort of exotic places the author had seen that inspired such fascinating locations in her writing.

Spike, however, was a bit more perceptive, noticing Rainbow's odd change in behavior. He lifted an eyebrow, studying her. Something was definitely off. But what? Was it the book? No, it couldn't be that. She'd been jumping for joy not ten seconds ago. Had to be something else. It seemed like Twilight's talking had made her remember something. So, what was so upsetting? What could manage to shake the brave and bold Rainbow Dash so much?

Just as he started to open his mouth to ask her, he felt something in the pit of his stomach, his eyes widening. He grabbed his mouth, making a retching sound.

The other two both looked at him questioningly.

"Spike? What's the matter?" Rainbow asked.

Her answer came when Spike belched a green burst of fire, which materialized into a scroll.

Twilight blinked in surprise. "A letter?"

Picking up the scroll with her magic, she unfurled it and lifted it to her face, reading it.

"What is it Twilight?" Spike asked, once he was recovered from the unexpected expulsion from his gut.

Twilight's eyes quickly ran back and forth across the page, before widening as alarm overtook her face.

"It's an urgent message from Princess Celestia… she wants the six of us in Canterlot at once!"

 **XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

 _ **And I think I FINALLY put one and two together to leaving comments behind for this thing. Happy new year to all! I'm glad to have gotten some following with the effort I've put into this story. You'll likely see updates quicker on my Fimfiction and DeviantArt pages of the same name, I'm more frequent on those. Thanks for reading along, and here's to a better year than before.**_


	8. Call to Action

======================================  
 _ **Southern edge of Equestria – Eggman's desert base**_  
 _ **90 minutes ago**_  
======================================

Across a large stretch of the barren landscape, a grim technological metropolis was being built from the ground up. Rocky ground was now covered over by steel sheets that soaked up waves of heat from the blistering sun. Coarse desert sand rolled in the breeze, rattling against skyward-reaching towers. Clanking steps of robots, mechanical growls and hums of gears and conveyor belts, and ear-ringing crackles of welding torches soldering steel beams together all mixed in a vociferous clamor; the usual stillness of the desert replaced with the harsh racket of production. Unfinished smokestacks framed a circular structure, their imposing masses stretching up, both around and through the unfinished dome wall. Together, these individual parts constituted a singular mechanical aberration. An unnatural blemish; a man-made blight defying the land's natural state. A forewarning of the disease that soon would spread across all Equestria.

Amid the construction, Eggman's two most talkative minions floated about, directing traffic.

"Hurry, hurry! Move it along! Straighten up that line!" Cubot shouted to the row of Motobugs revving along in front of him.

Orbot drifted back and forth across the open space, pointing an assortment of different Badniks to their stations. "Buzz Bombers, please maintain an altitude of at least twenty-five feet. That means you, BT-7! 4040, get back to the east side of the foundry for weapons check! Steer clear of the cables, GMB-5! And would someone bolt down that exhaust column before it–"

There was a loud snap of breaking metal. A tower ten yards ahead of Orbot had tilted on its unsecured foundation, broke under its own weight, and fell. All nearby Badniks ran for cover.

All except for one straggler. One slow-witted Cop Speeder casually floating along. By some defect of coding, it failed to register the hasty retreat of its Badnik brethren as danger. It stopped and looked around at the fleeing robots in confusion. Only when it noticed a growing shadow darkening the space around it did it finally turn around. The last thing it ever saw was the black color of metal before the steel tower crashed down, crushing it and hitting the ground with a thunderous slam that echoed throughout the entire base.

"…breaks."

Orbot floated there, awkwardly looking at the crash site. His cubical partner slowly came over to join him. If machines could sweat, they both would be. Cubot broke the tense silence with a comment. "Do you think the doc is going to notice?"

"He noticed."

The two minions flinched, turning slowly to the ominous voice behind them. A familiar flying pod floated above. Eggman's glower made chills crawl up their nonexistent spines.

Irritation broiled in the doctor's gut. For hours he'd been pouring over the collected transmissions from his dispatched Flappers. Video recordings. Images. All the information that his scout robots had collected so far on this "Equestria," as the locals called it.

Stomach-turning, all-encompassing disgust didn't quite do justice to his feelings towards this place.

A peaceful, noxiously bright land inhabited by adorable, multi-colored equines? The very thought was nauseating. Imagine, the great Doctor Eggman, the most brilliant mind on all of Mobius, forced to share a place in the cosmos with such a weak, inferior species? The nerve of it all! Fate had played a cruel joke on the doctor. One that he found no humor in. One that he sought to extract himself from post-haste; and his underling's foul-ups only sprinkled more fuel on the fire of his incensed mood.

"O-Oh, hi there boss…" Cubot shivered.

Orbot tried his best to salvage the situation. "Greetings, doctor. We were just in the middle of getting everything ready when there was a teensy weensy little accident and–"

"SILENCE!"

The two quieted instantly.

"I figured I'd find you two idiots to mucking things up," Eggman growled. His Egg Mobile lowered close to the ground, and he hopped out. "It's bad enough being confined to this insufferable place. But I will NOT have your usual incompetence delaying my plans." Reaching into the Egg Mobile's cockpit, he removed a two-foot-tall, blue and gray mechanical ball and dropped it on the ground in front of him.

"So, I've designed something far more capable for the job."

He snapped his fingers. A center light on the orb's side lit up in red, beeping. Its entire mass began to change shape. It opened up and expanded, plates shifting into place on the growing mass to form a body. It produced extensions for limbs, and the remnants of the orb shape became its head. Orbot and Cubot nervously backed. Eggman remained, watching as it took form before him. Soon a new robot stood in place of the steel sphere, straightening itself as the last of its outside covers meshed into place. It faced Eggman and spoke in a polite tone.

"Classification: New-Age Eggman Empire Docketing Android. Reporting for duty."

Eggman adjusted his glasses, admiring his newest creation with pride. "Lug heads, meet the latest addition to the Eggman Empire. Codename: NEEDA. Perfectly designed to be everything _you_ scrap-for-brains are not. Focused. Efficient. The perfect organizer for all my units and resources," he gloated, "and your replacement."

Cubot looked as crestfallen as a mostly featureless bot could. "But, boss… what about us?"

Scowling, Eggman pointed towards the fallen beam. "YOU can go and clean up this mess! Surely even a couple of blundering failures like you can manage _that_ without incident?"

Cubot hung his head and floated off, despondent.

"There is no need to be hurtful," Orbot remarked before following after him.

Eggman turned back to his new metal minion and crossed his arms over his chest. "NEEDA, bring up the layout of the invasion force."

"Yes, Lord Eggman." The new robot held out his metal hand with his palm up. The circular node in the middle of his palm took on a bright blue glow. A cone of light shined from its hand, producing a holographic rendering of various ships and Badniks – everything to be deployed for the coming assault. "As you've commanded, two battleships and three accompanying dropships are at the ready, each fully armed and outfitted. Combined, they can easily carry a battalion worth of troops. These, of course, consist of the standard mix of ground and air units, as well as four Super Badniks. EH model, to be exact. Additionally, your personal airship is fully fueled and ready to depart."

"And the _other_ unit?"

"EG-918 is en route, sir. Current ETA: one hour forty-three minutes."

The doctor's lip curved menacingly. "Excellent. Have container SA-7 brought to my carrier. Mobilize the army and prepare all ships for launch. We leave immediately."

The droid nodded. "As you wish, sir."

As NEEDA departed, Eggman stepped over to the side of his floating pod. He gazed past the towers, beyond his metallic base, out to the horizon where the faint traces of green pastures were visible. Somewhere out there among the four-legged rabble was their capital – a quaint little city resting on the side of a mountain.

Even thinking about _that_ grated the doctor's nerves. Honestly, having the seat of your nation's power dangling precariously off the edge of a mountain? Of all the architecturally asinine decisions. These fools were practically asking to be crushed.

He could already see himself holding their little city in the palm of his hand. His reconnaissance drones had shown him all he needed to know.

The capital itself was very poorly guarded. Relatively few "soldiers" – Eggman could barely even refer to the ponies in armored regalia by the word with a straight face – patrolled the perimeter. There were no siege-like weapons to speak of; no cannons, not even any firearms. The pitiful excuse of an army didn't wield anything beyond dated weaponry from the Dark Ages. The sheer lack of most things resembling modern technology was astounding. There wasn't even a wall, the most basic of all defensive concepts. His forces could march on the city virtually unchallenged. With their pitiful warriors and laughable defenses, subjugating these ponies would be all too easy. And once he had swept away any possible resistance, locating the Chaos Emeralds and leaving this wretched place behind would come all the sooner. It was only a matter of time.

The doctor chuckled darkly and stroked his mustache. At the very least, this would be amusing. "Now then, I believe it's time I introduced myself."

========  
 **1:02 PM**  
 **Ponyville**  
========

Rainbow Dash flew quickly through the air. Rooftops whizzed mere feet under her body as she propelled herself through the air towards the train station. At this pace, she'd beat the others there with plenty of time to spare. It was only natural that she hurry. Urgent letters from Celestia demanded quick responses. She was pretty sure everypony could have gotten there quicker if she found and carried each of them to the train station herself. Sadly, ever since the girdle incident, the girls had expressly forbidden her from bursting into ponies' homes and whisking them away to places without notice.

Before she could dwell on that any longer, she could see her destination coming up. She curved downward, sinking steadily closer to the ground; closing in on the station, but not decreasing speed. Right before she would come skidding in, she flapped up and made a pair of loops, slowing herself down for a steady stop just above the wood floorboards. She closed her eyes and swished her mane in pride. "Perfect."

An unexpected but familiar voice added its own two bits. "If you ask me, it could use a little more control. You come in way too hot."

Rainbow's eyes popped open. She looked to her left, and found–

"Spike?"

Sure enough, the little purple dragon sat waiting on the station bench. "Hey there, Dash. You're early."

Getting over her initial surprise of him beating her there, she replied, "Well, duh! No time to sit around lollygagging, the princess is calling. Where's Twilight?"

"On her way. Went to get Rarity," Spike said, hopping down from his seat. " _After_ about ten extra minutes of getting worked up on what the princess could want, what to bring, you know. The usual stuff."

The pegasus shared a laugh with him. "Classic Twilight."

As Spike took a few steps towards her, the floorboard beneath him unexpectedly cracked and broke, a square piece of the wood giving way beneath him. "Whoa!" He fell to his knee, catching himself as his other leg sank through the broken space.

"Oh crud, you alright dude?" Rainbow trotted closer, offering him her hoof.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just caught me off guard." Taking her hoof and hoisting himself up, he pulled his foot out and shook it off, glaring at the hole. "Man, these planks have been getting more rickety by the day. Mayor Mare really needs to have this place refurbished. That's a serious accident waiting to happen." Regaining his balance, he turned his attention back to Rainbow. "Anyway, did you give the others the message?"

"In record time!" she beamed proudly. But then her expression turned puzzled. "Come to think of it, what are you doing here? The princess only called for the six of us."

"Maybe, but I decided to come along too," Spike asserted.

"Is Twilight gonna be okay with that?"

"I don't know for sure that she _wouldn't_ be okay with it."

Rainbow blew air between her lips. "Solid argument."

Spike frowned. "Look, I wanna help too. Celestia's letter made it sound like there's trouble brewing again. With all the wild and crazy stuff we've had to deal with since Twilight and I got to Ponyville, it never hurts to have a little backup." He paused a moment and turned his head away, a hint of bitterness from their most recent memory together coloring his expression. "Even a 'lame dragon' can be useful."

His choice of words didn't register with Rainbow at first. When it did, shame flooded through her. "Y-Yeah…" Her body slumped. She rubbed the back of her head with a hiss of regret. "Hey… sorry about that."

Spike looked back up at her, then shrugged. He wasn't one to hold a grudge. "It's alright."

There was an awkward silence, neither quite sure how to continue from that topic. Spike eventually broke it by clearing his throat. "So, anyway… what was that about back there?"

Rainbow blinked. "What was what about?"

"Back at your place," he clarified. "You seemed kind of… well, mopey towards the end there. It was only for a second, but I still noticed."

Rainbow froze.

"So, did you wanna–"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" she blurted out a little too quickly. "Who's mopey? Me? No way! Why would I be mopey? Nothing's bothering me!"

Spike blinked. "So something _is_ bothering you?"

"Of course not!" Rainbow almost shouted. "Didn't I just say there wasn't? There's absolutely nothing wrong with me! Why would you even think that? I didn't say that!"

"…But you _did_ just–"

"Nope! No way! Nothing out of the ordinary going on here! Nuh-uh! Same old me, nothing weird to see here!" she stressed, a weak chuckle capping off her short rant.

Spike's expression turned flat as quickly as his patience evaporated. "Rainbow Dash, I've seen more convincing lies from Applejack," he deadpanned. Rainbow's false smile disappeared. Pausing, Spike inhaled and lifted a claw to his chest, lowering it in sequence with his exhale, letting his tension to fizzle away. Best to approach the situation calmly. "So really, what's going on?"

Rainbow crossed her hooves and turned away. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"You'll feel better if you do."

"Pfft, whatever."

Spike internally grumbled at the stubborn pegasus. No way she was going to be upfront about it. This _was_ Rainbow Dash, after all. He'd need another approach. After a moment of thought, he turned his back to her and audibly sighed. "Well, if you don't feel like talking to me about it, I guess there's nothing I can do."

Rainbow let out a soft 'whew' of relief.

"Buuuuuut," he continued, "if that's the case, maybe I'd better tell the others, huh? Sounds like they'd be better dealing with it than I can."

Behind his back, Rainbow's eyes widened.

"Mmm, I'm sure Fluttershy would be concerned. She'd be worrying and doting on you the whole train ride. Matter of fact, I'm sure _Pinkie Pie_ would be gung-ho on solving what's got you down too. Probably with a long list of Pinkie promises and 'cheer up' plans and–"

"Alright, alright! Stop!"

Spike smirked. Too easy.

Groaning, Rainbow Dash let herself drift down to the wood floor. She avoided eye contact, shyly rubbing one leg with her hoof.

"So what's eating you, Rainbow?" Spike asked as he turned back to her, genuine concern in his voice.

"Well, it's… I mean… ugh, this is harder to put in words than I thought."

"Just speak from the heart, Dash. I won't judge."

Her eyes flickered back to him, the pegasus still fighting her hesitation. The gradual acceptance of deciding to talk to Twilight about this, from just last night no less, was nowhere to be found. Apparently, thinking about asking for help and actually doing it were two entirely different things for her. After some time, she took a breath, beginning to slowly find the right words. "Have you… have you ever felt like you wanted more out of your life?"

Spike scanned her face thoughtfully. "More? Like what exactly?"

She fidgeted. "Like… like you wanna do something big with yourself. Something most ponies never could. Things you're positive you can. Like you were _born_ for it, it's something you feel in your bones. But somehow… it doesn't look like you'll ever get the chance to do any of those things."

Spike was quiet for a moment, thinking of the best way to respond. "Let's try answering that question with another question. What does the… ahem, 'resident daredevil, future Captain of the Wonderbolts, and coolest, awesomest, and radicalest pony around', feel like that?"

Rainbow chuckle softly. A direct quote. "I guess… it just seems like that's the way things are going. I mean…" She made a vague hoof gesture, looking out forlornly into space. "I've got the speed and the skills to fly with the best right now. But what do I get to do with it all? Same old boring, everyday stuff." She breathed. "Sure we've got the rare 'save Equestria' quest every once in a while, but… it honestly doesn't feel like enough. I … I want something more."

She smiled weakly at Spike. "It's funny…the best time I've had recently was when the three of us went tailing you into dragon territory. Now _that_ was cool. But now?" She dropped her head, choosing to stare at the ground, ears drooping. "It feels like I'm just stuck out here in this little town, pushing clouds around all day. Where's the excitement in that…?"

Spike rubbed his chin, letting her words sink in. "So, you're saying that you want more of a thrill? And the way things are now isn't giving that?"

She nodded.

"Well, I don't know if this is the answer you're looking for. But lately I've found that how you choose to see things can make all the difference," he offered. "For example, you _could_ say that things are too boring or not fulfilling enough for you." He walked beside her, placing a claw on her shoulder. "Or, you could look at what you _do_ have. Like a nice home, and friends that love and appreciate you."

The pegasus spared him a glance.

"Trust me, I get it. Sometimes it might feel like you're missing something. You wake up and wonder if you're supposed to do something different… or be someone else." For a second he dropped his gaze, a wistful look in his eye. "Heck, you might even go and try to find something new yourself. Even if it's just to see what it's like. But at the end of the day, when you're finished going through the motions, I think you'll find out you aren't missing a thing," he finished warmly.

Rainbow Dash looked down, her face unreadable. Silence held the air for a long moment. Eventually, her fixed expression cracked into a playful smirk. "You're getting pretty good at those sappy speeches."

"I prefer to call them 'inspirational'," Spike smiled. "And I live with Twilight. You pick up a thing or two writing all those letters to Celestia."

"Heh, guess so." She extended her hoof to him. "Thanks, bud."

"No problem, Dash," Spike replied, making a fist and giving her a bump. He turned his head down the road and saw a familiar yellow and pink. "Hey, look who's coming."

Following his gaze, Rainbow saw Fluttershy approaching. The yellow mare came trotting daintily up the station stairs to them.

"Hello, Rainbow Dash. Hello Spike."

"Sup, Fluttershy?" Rainbow replied. Spike offered a short wave.

"I'm so sorry if I took too long. I was on my way back from the Everfree Forest with a few of my animal friends when Twilight teleported over. It… startled me a bit."

Spike and Rainbow shared a glance, snickering at the mental picture.

Then Rainbow paused and gave a questioning look. "Wait, hang on a second. Really, Fluttershy? You? In the Everfree Forest?"

The timid mare blushed lightly."Oh, well… not actually _in_ it. Just near it," she explained. "There's this spot I sometimes like to go. But I came as quickly as I could. I'm… not late, am I?"

"Nah, you're good," Spike answered. "Dash and I were just talking."

"Oh, that's a relief," she breathed. "Um, about what? …I-If you don't mind me asking, that is."

Rainbow stiffened. "Umm…"

"Dash and was saying she was a little worried about the notice we got," Spike spoke up in her place. "Princess Celestia did make it sound pretty serious. But we talked it out, and we'll do our best to help out with whatever's going on. Just like usual." He gave Rainbow a wink, which she returned with a thankful smile.

"Oh, I see. That's very helpful of you, Spike," Fluttershy said happily. "And good for you, Rainbow Dash. It's always important to talk about our feelings."

Spike glanced at Rainbow again, wiggling his eyebrows in an 'I told you so' kind of way. The blue pegasus rolled her eyes, although she still sported a little smile. "Yeah we know," he agreed, "can't have things bogging us down. Especially when Celestia's calling us in. Gotta have our wits about us for any surprises."

A pink blur abruptly shot out of the broken space in the floorboards.

"Surprise!"

 _"_ _Aahh!"_

All three friends shouted in alarm. Spike jumped a foot off the ground. Rainbow instinctively flapped up into the air, hitting her head on the overhang. Fluttershy fell over. Unconscious.

Spike's head snapped toward on the source. "Pinkie! Are you trying to give us a heart attack?!"

Said pink pony responded quite nonchalantly. "Heart Attack? Eh, I'm more of a Confident kind of girl as far as Songbird Serenade singles go. Not a bad album though. I'd give it a seven out of ten."

Spike stared at her, baffled. He didn't even want to _begin_ to try and decipher the mare's logic. He looked back and forth between her and the gap she had popped out of. "Where were you even…? How did you…? WHY were you…? Oh, forget it…" he groaned, massaging his temples.

Pinkie quirked her head, oblivious. "You feeling alright Spike? Maybe you should see a doctor."

"More like a shrink…" he snarked.

Pinkie's eyes lit up. "You wanna shrink? That sounds like fun! You could go swimming in a bowl of cereal! Or nacho dip! Ooh, or you could do the waltz with a bee!"

Rainbow Dash, rubbing her head with pained noises, floated back down to the ground. "Pinkie Pie, you are _so_ random." She then started shaking Fluttershy in an attempt to wake her up.

Suddenly, Pinkie's whole body broke out into uncontrollable shaking. The shivers were so strong that they briefly lifted her off the ground.

Rainbow looked utterly confused. "Uh… what was that?"

"I think I know…"Spike said with a sense of foreboding.

Fluttershy started to come to, her eyes fluttering open. "Mmm… h-huh? What happened?" she murmured as Rainbow helped her up.

"Another doozy?" Pinkie Pie thought out loud. Even she looked surprised by what just occurred.

Rainbow turned to Spike. "Doozy?"

"It's a 'Pinkie Sense' thing," Spike elaborated. "Only the second time we've ever seen it. It happens for super-out-of-the-ordinary kind of stuff. Last time it went off like this was when Twilight finally started believing it worked at all."

"I remember …" Fluttershy croaked. "I was moving some crowded frogs over to Froggy Bottom Bog, and we were attacked by a hydra…"

Rainbow's eyes shifted back to Pinkie. "And now…?"

"I've got noooooo idea," she responded. "All I can tell is this one felt even bigger and doozier than the last one!"

"Fantastic…" Spike muttered.

Another bout of shivers coursed through Pinkie Pie's body. When she was still again, she took on a thinking posture. "And it feels like… whatever _this_ doozy is will happen when we all get to Canterlot!"

The dragon and the two pegasi looked at each other.

"Y-You don't think this has something to do with why Princess Celestia has summoned us… do you?" Fluttershy stammered, rising fear evident in her voice.

Spike puffed air through his nose. "Considering our luck with over-the-top fiascos, I'd say it's a pretty safe bet."

"Oooohhh! I'm extra extra, EXTRA excited!" Pinkie squealed, hopping up and down. "We're gonna get to see something super-duper stupendous _again!_ What do you think it'll be this time? A mysterious gem? Some magic cards? Three giant dragons? A bugbear? Crystal balls? A ghostly specter? Oatmeal?"

Everyone stared at her incredulously.

"Oatmeal?"

Spike cocked his head at Rainbow Dash. "Of all the things she just said, _that's_ the one you question?"

Pinkie then gave a big gasp "Wait wait wait! Maybe, just maybe… it might even be…" She quickly looked from side to side. "A skeleton war!"

Fluttershy's pupils shrank in fear. "S-S-Sk-Skeleton war…?"

Both Rainbow and Spike looked a hundred and ten percent done. The former dropped back on her haunches, letting out an exasperated breath.

"I give up…" Spike moaned.

It was then that Applejack came galloping in to join them. "Howdy y'all! Got the message."

Pinkie Pie sprung over cheerfully. "Hi Applejack! It's a good thing you're here! We were talking about how to get ready for the skeleton war!"

Applejack tilted her head. "Uh, the what now?"

Spike facepalmed. Shifting his attention elsewhere, he saw a papercolt next to a stack of newspapers a couple of yards from where they stood. Choosing to avoid any more craziness until they got to Canterlot, he started walking off to go grab a copy of today's paper. As he did so, Rarity and Twilight also came rushing onto the scene together.

"Oh goodness, so sorry darlings! I came as soon as I heard!" Rarity announced.

Rainbow snickered. "That's what she said!"

Twilight and Applejack rolled their eyes, while Rarity let out an indignant huff.

"Honestly, Rainbow Dash. Must you be so crude?"

The arrival of his crush gave Spike a sudden case of the butterflies, a faint blush adorning his cheeks. "Uh, h-hey Rarity."

"Why hello, Spikey Wikey," she greeted, smiling graciously.

Twilight did a double-take. "Wait, Spike? What are you doing here?"

"To help with whatever the letter is about, of course."

The bookworm, unsurprisingly, was having none of that. "Oh, no you're not! This is an emergency summons from Princess Celestia! For all we know she could be calling on us to deal with another threat endangering all of Equestria! What if it's another escaped ancient villain? It's far too dangerous for a baby dragon. Now you carry yourself home this instant, young drake!" she demanded, pointing back towards town.

"Aw, come on Twilight!" Spike complained, throwing his arms up. "You guys are always going off on dangerous missions, and last time the bad guy almost got the better of you. What if you need help again?" He folded his arms, standing his ground. "And I'm _not_ a baby."

"You know Twilight, he might have a point," Rainbow interjected, coming to his defense. She and Spike exchanged a brief look.

Twilight appeared shocked by her words. "R-Rainbow Dash?! What are you saying?!"

Rarity glanced between the two before speaking. "Twilight, darling, maybe you should listen. What's the harm in bringing him along? After all, it is just a meeting."

"But… but… he's a child! What if something dangerous were to happen?!"

"Didn't he go all the way to the Dragon Lands by himself?" Rainbow Dash noted. "And he was fine. …Mostly."

"As he was when he valiantly defended me from those brutish Diamond Dogs," Rarity added, rubbing the top of his head appreciatively, making the little dragon smile. "Come now, Twilight. I know you're just trying to protect him, but I believe he's proven he can handle himself."

"They're not wrong, Twi," Applejack advised, joining in. "Don't forget who it also was that put you into gear when that Ursa came 'round. Way I see it, the little feller's been helpin' us outta jams all the while. And he's gettin' less little by the day. Coddlin' him ain't gonna do him a lick of good."

Pinkie Pie was the next to chime in. "Besides, it's not like he's all by himself. He'll have all of us watching out for him. We'll stick to him like scales on a dragon!" she grinned, softly slapping Spike on the back.

"Um, Twilight," Fluttershy mumbled meekly, just loud enough to get the unicorn's attention. "If Spike wants to be helpful, then…maybe you should let him. …I mean, if that's alright with you."

Twilight was at a loss. She looked between her five friends. She wanted to deny it. She wanted to ignore their points and send him straight home; where he would be safe and protected.

Protection.

Her thoughts went back to the previous night. That's what it came back to. Her mistake. Her regret. She'd failed to protect him. She had to make up for it. She had to do the right thing now. She wasn't wrong for that, was she?

But…

Her gaze trailed down to the purple dragon who looked back at her, his eyes pleading. As much as she didn't want to admit it, her friends were right. All of their evidence was hard to refute. He had helped all of them out quite a bit, to the extent he could; even in a perilous situation or two.

Twilight's mind weighed on all these things. The guilt of failing to live up to her standards for caring for Spike; the pain in her heart when she believed he would leave her behind; the reality that her young charge was and wished to continue to be useful to all of them. After another moment of contemplation, she closed her eyes with a sigh.

"You're right."

She opened them again, looking at her assistant. "Okay, Spike," she relented. "You can come. You're just as important to these things as the rest of us."

Spike smiled gratefully, springing forward to hug her. "Thanks, Twilight!" He gave her a quick squeeze and headed back to the edge of the station, hopping off the ledge to continue on his way to get that paper.

"So now that we got all that out of the way," Rainbow interjected, "what do you think the big deal is that the princess is calling about?"

"I haven't the slightest clue," Rarity commented. "But if memory serves, the last time we were all brought together like this was to do away with that _odious_ draconequis," she rasped, disdainfully recalling the encounter with their most recent foe.

"Thinkin' it really is another Equestria-threatenin' bad guy on the loose?" asked Applejack.

"I'm telling you, it's gotta be the skeleton war!" Pinkie insisted.

Fluttershy hid behind Applejack at the subject being brought up again, trembling.

"For the last time, Pinkie, there is no skeleton war!" scolded Rainbow.

The party pony pouted. "Awww."

"Hold on a minute, let's not get carried away," Twilight assured. "Just because we're being called together again doesn't mean it has to be over some big disaster. Maybe Princess Celestia just wants to share her appreciation for us." She started to drift into a monologue. "Maybe it's to invite us to another event in Canterlot. Or to congratulate us again for continuing to help keep Equestria safe and peaceful."

"Or maybe…" Spike's voice made the six mares turn to him. He'd returned, now with a copy of the Ponyville Chronicle in claw, and was staring with wide eyes at the front page. "It's _this!_ " He turned the paper around for the mares to see. They gathered around him for a closer look. Five out of six blanched when they read the headline.

 _ **Blue Demon Attacks Canterlot**_

Below the title was a darkened artist's rendering showing a side view of something they had never seen before – a creature with an oddly large head, pointed fur, and large eyes.

"Canterlot was attacked?!" Rarity gaped.

"B-By a… d-d-demon?" Fluttershy quivered, eyes full of fright.

Spike flipped the paper back around and began reading the article aloud. "Yesterday, at approximately six o'clock at night, the streets of Canterlot were beset by an unknown alien creature. As was first reported by the Canterlot Chronicle, witnesses have described the mysterious being as blue bipedal mammal now being referred to among Canterlot's citizenry as the Blue Demon."

Most of the mares had fearful, wide-eyed looks. There were two exceptions – Pinkie Pie, who wore an oddly wide smile, and Rainbow Dash, whose expression was visibly hardening with each word Spike read.

"Question! What does bipedal mean?" Pinkie chirped.

"It means a creature that walks on two legs," Twilight answered. "Like a kangaroo or a minotaur."

"Oh, okay. …Second question! We talking the 'huge, terrifying, punch you to pieces and summon a giant dragon made of the flames of Tartarus to eat your soul' kind, or the 'plucky, fun-sized, mostly harmless without somepony to read their magic spell book' kind? 'Cause those second ones are kind of adorable."

Spike continued. "The creature appeared in Celestia's courtyard in the dead of night–"

"It went after Princess Celestia?!" Twilight cried, fear for her mentor's well-being overtaking her.

"Okay… maybe he's not the adorable kind," Pinkie added glumly.

" _In the dead of night,_ " Spike repeated irritably, "stopped only by the quick action of a contingent of the royal guard led by Princess Luna."

"Alright princess!" Rainbow cheered.

"The creature engaged them, leaving a path of destruction in its wake as it rampaged across the city. Among those to directly confront the intruder was Lieutenant Night Flare of Princess Luna's division of the guard, who has since been hospitalized with minor injuries."

The mares gasped. Somepony had been hurt?

"It then proceeded to evade reinforcements before escaping without a trace. The events have thrown Canterlot's citizens into a state of panic. When approached for questions, Princess Luna responded that an additional operation had been ordered to locate the attacker. However, results have yet to be confirmed. Princess Celestia was unavailable for comment."

"That's it!" Rainbow Dash said hotly. "That's gotta be why the princess called us! To catch this vicious monster that's on the loose out there!"

"I have to agree," Rarity concurred. "It hardly seems like a coincidence for this all to happen in so short a time."

Twilight took the paper from Spike with her magic, reading it over again fretfully. "I was hoping we'd seen the last of any vicious monsters out to plague Equestria for at least a _little_ while longer… but it looks like you may be right." Returning it to him, her mind wracked over this worrying development.

Before the group's discussion could continue, they heard the nearing chugging of a train. The Friendship Express had arrived at last. Its pace slowed to a crawl before it finally rocked and came to a stop. The chimney blew a loud whistle with an accompanying billow of smoke, and the doors opened. A few fillies and colts exited, followed by Ms. Cheerilee. She stood at the side of the car door and ushered out a long line comprising the rest of her students. "That's it, one by one everypony! Make sure you have all your belongings!" As she guided the young ponies off, Spike was the first one to come over to greet her. She waved upon noticing him. "Oh, hi there Spike!"

"Hey, Cheerilee! How was the trip to Appleloosa?"

Her smile slipped. "I think…'eventful' is the right word," she said uneasily.

As Spike started to ask what she meant, Snips came walking out the doorway holding a bag of ice to the back of his head.

"Oh, my aching head…" he groaned.

Spike arched a brow. "What happened to Snips?" By now, the other six mares were also making their way over.

"Well–"

Cheerilee was cut by a trio of bodies that came barreling through Snips and the other foals in their way. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo rushed up to their sisters plus Rainbow Dash, gushing.

"Sis! Sis! Y'all are never gonna believe what happened!"

"We saw the buffalo!"

"I almost beat one in a hoof race too!"

"And then we saw something else!"

"A weird spiny thing!"

"It did tricks for the class! And it even saved my hat!"

"But before that, there was an earthquake!"

"Woooaaah there y'all, slow down a 'sec." Applejack raised a calming hoof. "Did I hear somethin' about an earthquake?"

"Earthquake?" The response came from Twilight." That can't be. The entire southern region is a completely inactive flatland. There shouldn't be any fault lines until at least Macintosh Hills," she claimed, sounding like she was reciting straight from one of her many textbooks.

But Cheerilee was quick to reply. "They're telling the truth. I have no idea how, but there was a huge tremor on the way back."

"Which made _me_ fall out of my chair and hit my head!" Snips complained.

Twilight rubbed her chin in thought. "How peculiar…"

"And that's not all!" Scootaloo piped up. "We saw this weird creature running beside the train!"

Rarity blinked. "Weird creature?"

Sweetie Belle nodded. "It was blue, had spines on its head and its back, and wore these funny-looking white gloves on its paws."

"And it could run as fast as the train!" said Lickety Split.

"Heck, it _outran_ the train!" added Apple Bloom.

As Twilight's eyes widened, Applejack turned to Cheerilee. "This true, Cheerilee?"

Cheerilee confirmed with a nod. "Every word."

Before another word could be said, Twilight's horn glowed, and she took the newspaper out of Spike's grip. Floating it in front of herself, she spread the front cover out for Cheerilee and the other foals to see.

"Did the creature look like _this?_ "

The crusaders, Cheerilee, and a few other students that could fit close enough to see all responded with a resounding:

 _"_ _Yes!"_

The six heroines exchanged uneasy looks.

Sweetie Belle, studying the picture with a hoof on her chin, commented further. "Well… almost. This picture's a little dark and vague. But the eyes and head are pretty spot on."

In the next second, she was locked in a hug from Rarity, her older sister squeezing around her head like a vice. "Oh, my poor, innocent little Sweetie Belle! Thank goodness you're unharmed!" she wailed dramatically, failing to pick up on Sweetie's muffled cries for air.

Scootaloo kept reading, shock spreading across her face. "Demon attacks… destruction… royal guard in the hospital?! For real?!"

"But that can't be!" Apple Bloom said with disbelief. "We saw him up close and personal! There wasn't nothin' bad about him! He was even nice enough to get me my hat back when I lost it!"

That got Twilight's attention. "Are you absolutely sure? It didn't do anything to hurt you?" she inquired.

"No way! He didn't harm a hair on any of our heads!" Apple Bloom insisted.

While pondering over this new information, Rarity finally noticed her sister's face turning blue from lack of oxygen. She quickly let her go, apologizing while the smaller unicorn gasped for air. "He wasn't…" Sweetie wheezed, slowly catching her breath. "He wasn't anything like that article's saying. He was perfectly nice. Nothing like a 'demon', that's for sure. Not from what we saw.

"Sorry sugarcube, but I'd say the evidence is right there in black and white," Applejack countered. "Just 'cause that critter didn't decide to go after you fillies don't mean it ain't been causin' trouble elsewhere."

"Besides," Rarity added, "this is straight from the Canterlot Chronicle. There's no news source more credible than them. If they say this two-legged monster is a menace, then it simply must be so."

Sweetie Belle's brow furrowed. She was torn. A "rampaging monster" didn't sound anything like the spiky blue runner she'd seen. He was nothing but pleasant when she and the class saw him – upbeat and friendly. But, the older ponies did have a point. Her own experience didn't account for his other apparent actions. They couldn't both be true, could they? "But…"

"Yeah, well so what?!" Apple Bloom's shout cut off her response."That don't mean a thing! Who cares what a bunch a' snobby Canterlot stiffs say? Don'cha know not to believe everything you read in the paper?"

Rarity balked at the filly's words. "What _–_! You _–_! That's _–_! Why, I NEVER!" She took a dynamic step up in front of Apple Bloom. "I will have you know that the Canterlot Chronicle is THE most reputable paper in all of Equestria! There is _nothing_ more reliable than the word from one of their mouths! And _furthermore–_ "

"Girls, that's enough!" Twilight stepped between the two. "Rarity, we don't have time to sit around and argue about it. We need to get to Canterlot ASAP. I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of this when we meet with the princess."

Rarity 'hmph'd and turned up her nose. Apple Bloom stuck her tongue out at the fashionista.

"And as you three, you're going to get left behind." Twilight pointed to where the line of other students was already leaving.

Cheerilee beckoned them from the front. "Come along now, my little ponies!"

Yelping, the three fillies sprinted after the class. Apple Bloom gave one last look over her shoulder as they left. "You'll see he's a good critter! Just wait till you get a good look at 'im yourself! You'll see!" Their departure left the mares and dragon alone at the train station. Rarity muttered to herself about uncultured fillies under her breath.

"All aboard for Canterlot!" The call from the conductor brought them back to the moment.

"Come on y'all, we better move it along," Applejack urged, "shouldn't keep the princesses waiting any longer."

"Aw yeah! Off to save Equestria once again!" Rainbow enthusiastically flapped up off the ground and did a midair kick, floating down to quickly scurry into the train past Applejack. The farm pony rolled her eyes with a small smile and trotted in after her.

Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Spike all followed suit. Only Twilight hesitated, stopping for a moment to look out towards the purple-hued mountains where their destination rested, softly uttering some final words to herself.

"Whatever happens, I just hope we're prepared. Who knows what kind of horrible monster is out there waiting for us."

========================  
 **12:49 PM**  
 **Manehattan: Equestria Daily HQ**  
========================

"DOOOOOOOOOOOOSS!"

A long, brash shout reverberated through the confines of the newspaper office. The ponies situated about the office all cringed, breathing uncomfortable sighs at the familiar ringing. One stallion at a corner desk put a hoof to his forehead. "I swear, it gets worse every day with this guy…"

The stallion's grumbling was followed by the clopping of hoofsteps swiftly going past his aisle, making their way past desks, cubicles, and other office staff. They carried all the way to the main office at the opposite end of the floor. A unicorn with a coat of grayish-yellow and mane of interchanging shades of dark and light grayish purple entered through a wide set of glass double doors. She wore a pair of black-framed glasses, and a checkered sweater colored with various dark blues. She marched directly up to a large desk that sat before her. "You bellowed, boss?"

The portly, brown, balding unicorn pacing and gesticulating behind the desk wheeled on her. "Doss! Where in Equestria is my coffee ?! Where were you when I called you ninety seconds ago! And WHERE is your mess-head of an understudy?!"

The unicorn merely adjusted her glasses, rattling off answers without missing a beat. "Still on its way after you yelled at the new intern for only getting three sugars instead of five, it's only been _thirty_ seconds, and she's been standing right in front of you for the last minute." She finished by pointing to her left. Low and behold, there was Wallflower, looking a mix of uncomfortable and annoyed.

"Blush! How many times have I told you not to sneak around like that?!" Bloviate shouted.

The green mare huffed through her nose. "I wasn't 'sneaking,' Mr. Bloviate."

"Anyway, I got a bone to pick with you! Come 'ere!" The stallion pulled open a desk drawer and retrieved a folder. As Wallflower stepped closer, he opened and slammed it down in front of her, revealing several pictures of trees and other greenery. "What is this crap you're giving me?! When I gave you this shot as one of our freelance photographers, it was to bring in pictures of important topics!"

"That's what I'm _trying_ to do, sir."

"Yeah? Well, there IS no try! There's 'do,' and then there's 'bucking up royal,' and you are bucking up royal! I pay you to bring me the biggest hot button issues affecting our beautiful city! Not for a bunch of weeds!"

Wallflower's face turned sour at that remark. "Some ponies would say the park falling into such a poor state _is_ an important issue."

"Don't give me any of your excuses!" he cut her off, smacking his hoof on the desk. "Nopony is going to find the next big scoop buried in some dinky old garden!"

Wallflower looked away bitterly. "They're _not_ dinky…"

"And how many times do I have to tell you to quit that muttering?! Can't hear a Celestia-damned thing you're saying!"

Her expression grew darker. "Maybe you'd hear better if your head wasn't shoved so far up you own–"

"Now what was I saying before? …Oh yeah, that's right! Doss, come with me. You too, Blush!"

Grabbing a newspaper from off the corner of his desk, the rotund stallion stomped past the two mares. Dossier spared Wallflower a glance. "You're late today, garden gnome."

Wallflower met her supervisor's eyes, responding in her typical drab tone. "Don't blame me. Couldn't get further than 16th and Yearling. Cops must have had at least two or three blocks closed down. Had to take the back route across Cloven Street."

"Oh yeah, I think I heard a blurb of that going around." She adopted a faint grin. "That is, between all the typical Mr. B-isms. What for?"

"I don't know the details. Some thief on the run, or something."

Dossier pursed her lip. "Shutting down so much for a measly purse snatcher? Sounds kind of excessive."

Wallflower shrugged. "Not my call."

Dossier thought on it a couple of seconds longer. "Well, I'm sure we'll get hear all about it before the day's out. Let's go see what the 'Emperor of the Universe' wants." The pair went through the doors after their boss, walking side by side.

Bloviate made his way to the center of the busy newspaper office and raised his voice loud enough for the entire floor to hear him. "Listen up, ponies! I want the lot of you to see something!" He held up the copy of the Canterlot Chronicle's morning paper, complete with the cover image of the "Blue Demon" for all to see. The other ponies turned their heads from their work. Several stood up, coming closer for a better view. "You see this? Do you know what it is?"

Before the staff could begin to form an answer, he bellowed again. "UNACCEPTABLE, that's what it is! Some freak of nature shows up out of the blue in the middle of the night and serves the royal guard their flanks! The biggest story to come around since the return of Nightmare Moon literally drops right out of the sky, and WHO snatches it up? Those hacks at the Canterlot Daily?! _And_ they've even got a moniker for the thing already?! I will! Not! HAVE IT!"

The ponies flinched under the volume of his shouts. A few quietly mumbled to each other about this new development. Wallflower, however, took one look at the cover page and gasped.

"The good news is, nopony's got a solid claim on the thing. All anypony has is word of mouth. Not even a clear picture. Y'know what _that_ means, don't you fillies and gentlecolts?"

Every single staff member shared a look with the pony standing next to them. They could guess what was coming.

"It means free real estate!" Bloviate slapped the paper down on another worker's desktop. "It means our demon is still up for grabs. And it means the hottest scoop in all of Equestria will belong to whichever lucky photographer can snap that perfect shot! Being the first one to get the dirt on this thing is exactly what we need to remind this town why my paper is the top dog around here!" he rather selfishly proclaimed. "Which is why until further notice, this is our priority one! I want leads! Locations! Witnesses! Interview every last sentient creature in Equestria if you have to! Someone has to have seen where this thing went!" He held out a hoof and steadily moved it from left to right in front of him, motioning to illustrate his imagined headline. "When I read 'Alien Invader Caught In Action' on page one, I also wanna see 'exclusive Equestria Daily photo' in the byline!"

The office murmured collectively, coming to grips with the new order. Dossier cracked a half smile and leaned over to talk into the neighboring Wallflower's ear. "Isn't this a real turn of events. We get an overnight invasion and Mr. 'BS' wants to turn it into his next pet project. Typical, huh?" Whatever response she was hoping to get from the younger mare never came. Instead, Wallflower wordlessly walked away from her and towards Bloviate. Dossier raised an eyebrow. That was odd. Almost as odd as the triumphant smirk plastered on Wallflower's face. "...Blush?"

Bloviate looked right and left around the office. The distinct lack of movement erased his previously enthusiastic expression. "Well, what are you jackoffs standin' around for?! Get back to work!" His yell sent the ponies scurrying back to their stations. "Find me my headline! And make it snappy! Whoever brings me a page-one-worthy picture of this Blue Demon will be worth their weight in gold!"

"Mr. Bloviate."

"Eh?" The brown stallion turned around to see Wallflower. His face became scornful. "What, Blush?! What do you want?"

The green mare remained calm and poised. Her smile never faltered. "Actually sir, I've got exactly what _you_ want."

Bloviate scoffed. "Is that a fact? Well, if it ain't my coffee, I don't wanna hear it. And if it's any more of your Celestia-forsaken weeds, I _really_ don't wanna hear it!"

Wallflower didn't bat an eye. "No, boss."

Without breaking eye contact, she reached a hoof into the neck of her sweater. She was going to savor every second of this. She withdrew her hoof and pulled out a single photograph, holding it up for Bloviate to see. In seconds, Bloviates' faced morphed from smug and impatient to staring bug-eyed with his mouth hanging open. It was priceless. In her hoof, Wallflower held the picture she had taken earlier – a crisp, full profile image of Sonic the Hedgehog posing and winking for the camera. The perfect cover photo.

"I've got your page one."

==================  
 **12:55 PM**  
 **Eastern Macintosh Hills**  
==================

A soothing breeze flowed across the tops of Macintosh Hills. The rolling peaks were a quiet and peaceful place. Climbing high above sea level, their altitude granted them pleasantly soft, nearly constant winds from the neighboring flatlands. The cool, isolated environment made the location the perfect rest stop for one blue hedgehog.

Sonic lay on his back, one leg crossed over the opposite knee with his hands behind his head. His eyes were closed and he wore a relaxed smile, enjoying the warm sun and gentle wind without a care in the world.

He'd had an exciting couple of hours since leaving his new pals in Baltimare. After he'd ventured from the charred hangout spot for those dragons and the desert where he'd encountered the buffalo and train full of mini ponies, he'd just picked a direction – west in this case – and coasted. The run that followed had taken him through a long and winding woodland, and between two tall mountains. One loopback through another mountain range, a couple of deep gorges, and a gorgeous valley with clouds that rained rainbows – a place he made a mental note to check out again if he got the chance – and he'd ended up here.

It made for some interesting sightseeing, to say the least.

Sonic yawned and stretched, opening his eyes and sitting up for a view of the scenery from his hilltop. Arid desert lay on one side of the hilly divide, green forest on the other. "Gotta say, I could think of worse places to be stranded in. It's actually pretty nice around here."

Granted, no amount of sightseeing by itself would help in getting him back home. He knew that. But even in bad spots, stopping to enjoy the little things never hurt anyone. Sonic turned his gaze up to the cloud-filled sky. Even the clouds in this world were especially pleasant and fluffy. He let his mind wander as he gazed, seeing what shapes he could make out from the white tufts to pass the time.

The first one he picked out looked like a shark, round with a piece coming out of the top that resembled a fin. Then came one in a perfect heart shape. Another looked like a tiny bird flapping its wings. And then the next–

 _'_ _Wait.'_ Sonic paused. That wasn't right. He snapped his head back in that other cloud's direction. Squinting, he could make out movement. _'Okay, definitely not a cloud.'_ Something was flying up there; a first for what he'd seen in this place. And to be this visible from so far up, it had to be big. What was it?

The hedgehog was determined to find out. He hopped up and dashed over the slopes of the hills, making his way as close as he could to whatever that thing was. He ultimately came to rest on the tallest hill this side of the range. He squinted and put his hand up to shield his eyes from the sun, peering hard to see what that thing was. From there he was at last able to make out what was flying through the clouds: a giant, shiny blue wasp.

Sonic instantly recognized it. That was no insect. It was a jumbo-sized variant of a Buzz Bomber – a battleship. It could mean only one thing:

 _"_ _Eggman."_ The hedgehog's jaw tensed, his fist squeezed into a tight ball. "Looks like Señor Nose Hair is making his move." Keeping his eye on the ship, he saw it pivot, making a slight curve to adjust its flight path. "Hmm…" He double-checked the sun's place in the sky, situating his own position to get a sense of the airship's, along with its current travel path. _'_ _Seems to be heading north… northeast after that change in direction.'_ He turned his gaze to his right, towards the Bomber's anticipated flight path. _'Which should end up taking it…'_

The hedgehog drew a sharp breath, his eyes suddenly widening. At the very edge of his visibility, he could see a familiar tall mountain.

Canterlot.

Eggman was heading towards the capital.

Sonic didn't even have to think of what the doctor's arrival would mean for the ponies there. He knew it all too well. Eggman's forces would devastate the city. He'd turn the populous into guinea pigs to power his army and raze everything else to the ground. Sonic wasn't sure what kind of defenses or other tricks these ponies might have had up their sleeves, but if it was anything like what he himself encountered last night, they didn't have a prayer.

If the madman had his way, innocents would die.

But there was another problem. An inescapable truth that tugged at the back of Sonic's mind. After last night, these Equestrians would definitely not be on his side. Intervening would mean going right back into the same nest of hornets that currently had him listed as public enemy number one. Throw Eggman into the mix, and he'd be smack dab in the middle of _two_ hostile forces – one wanting him in chains, and the other dead.

Sonic closed his eyes, breathing in and out. It all boiled down to a choice: sit by and do nothing as Eggman invaded, or leap into the fray and risk his neck on two fronts to defend the ponies who considered him an enemy. He had to decide.

It took him all of ten seconds.

His lip curled into that famous smirk. Bright green eyes opened, glinting with confidence and daring. "Oh well. A hedgehog's gotta do what a hedgehog's gotta do."

He backed up a few paces, and without another thought, ran and leaped over the curving slope of the hill. He hit the ground running, instantly bursting ahead. As the wind rushed past his face, he glanced again to the giant metal hornet up in the sky. He knew what he had to do.

He set his sights on Canterlot, focusing on nothing else but the race to the city.

All that mattered now was getting there in time.

 **XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

 _ **Sorry to keep you all waiting. This one has been long overdue. But I'm happy to finally get this one out there, and happier still that the first leg of this adventure is heading towards its climax. Stay tuned. You can catch my quickest updates on Fimfiction.  
**_

 _ **Side note, I redid some of the dialogue from chapter 1 to provide more setup, and to give it a bit more bite. I also reformatted a few other things throughout the rest. It's like every time you look back you see something that needs correcting. Anyway, enjoy. Feel free to share your thoughts. I live for the feedback, I want to make this as good as it possibly can be.**_


	9. Know Your Enemy

==================  
 **Canterlot: Barracks**  
 **2:12 PM**  
==================

The afternoon air carried a cooling breeze through the section of Canterlot devoted to the royal guard; a fairly large, walled-off space close in proximity to Princess Celestia's eastern courtyard. A large collection of ponies, young in age and various in species, walked in a disorganized bunch across the barracks' practice field. Each was adorned in shiny new sets of gold armor. They were the newest batch of recruits, freshly graduated from the Royal Guard Academy.

Today had been the morning of their commencement ceremony, where they were sworn in by a several higher-ranking officers, and recognized by a personal appearance from Celestia herself. It had been a nerve-wracking affair; but now, their tenure as officially recognized members of the Royal Guard would begin.

At the head of the meandering mass of ponies were three pegasi. A lemon-coated, cobalt-maned stallion walked side by side with another with an aquamarine coat and chestnut hair. A light orange stallion with a blue, windswept mane paced to the rear of them.

"Couldn't we have waited 'til _after_ Celestia raised the sun to prep for the ceremony?" Drizzle Hoof said with a yawn. "I hate getting up early in the morning."

"I'd get used to that if I were you, Drizzle," Flash Sentry said from behind. "Try to at least stay awake until we get to the barracks."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Flash."

"On the bright side, lunch is just a hop skip and a jump away!" River Mouth said eagerly.

Drizzle Hoof also grinned at the mention of food. "Glad for that. I'm so hungry I could eat a house."

"Yeah? I'm so hungry I could eat a whole castle," River replied.

"Oh yeah? Well, I'm so hungry I could eat a whole spaceship!" said Drizzle.

River stared oddly at him. "What's a spaceship?"

"…I have no idea."

Flash Sentry shot River a dirty look. "I don't see how you're still hungry, _Big_ Mouth, considering you swiped my muffin at breakfast when I left to get some juice."

River looked crossly back at Drizzle Hoof, who avoided eye contact while whistling not-so-innocently. "Snitch."

"One of these days that bottomless pit you call a stomach is going to get you into trouble," said Flash.

"Oh relax, Flash. Don't you know what they say? Life is just an interruption between meals." River Mouth swung back around and looked to the cafeteria entrance on the other side of the courtyard. "And speaking of which, I think I'll go get a head start on lunch!" He opened his wings and pushed himself off the ground for a smooth flight forward, a ravenous glint in his eye.

"YOU!"

A booming shout made River Mouth falter mid-flight. He was quick to spot the source—ten yards ahead, and closing in on him fast. His forward glide turned into a haphazard, backward flutter to the ground as he retreated, his pupils shrinking with fear. A big, light gray stallion barreled towards him, only slowing his flight when he came within a few feet of the frightened private.

"Why are you leaving your brothers behind, maggot?!" Sergeant Boomer bellowed. "The food's gonna be there in the cafeteria when you make it there! Are you trying to start with me?!"

"No, sir!" River said frantically.

"You better NOT be! Now go hold the door for your brothers!"

"Yes, sir!"

"And I swear to Celestia, if I see you skipping in front of anypony, I will beat the shit out of your asshole and stuff it in your mouth!" Boomer shouted after River as he scurried towards the cafeteria door. Then the drill sergeant swung to the others. "As for the rest of you, straighten up that line! Get those hooves even!" The young recruits swiftly and fearfully aligned into proper formation, their hoofsteps becoming rhythmic, synchronized beats against the ground, while Boomer began calling out in a military-style cadence. "Left! Left! Left, right, left! Left! Left! Left, right, le– no running!"

"Note to self…" Drizzle Hoof trembled, "do _not_ get on Sergeant Boomer's bad side." Flash nodded trepidatiously in agreement.

The group filed off the green track, under a beam-supported awning that covered a paved walkway that circled the practice ground's perimeter, and through the cafeteria entrance now held open by River Mouth.

A short distance away, through an archway entrance of the adjacent building, muffled sounds of discomfort could be heard from outside the closed door of the infirmary. On the inside, Night Flare sat on one of the chairs. His eyes were noticeably bloodshot, with dark circles of fatigue sitting underneath them, indicating a lack of sleep. Currently wrapping gauze around his head was a medical guard—a light amber unicorn with a mane and tail of alternating shades of pink. Life Line sighed at her patient. "You just can't seem to stay out of messes, can you Night Flare?"

The corner of his mouth turned up. "A mild concussion is nothing. What I had the misfortune of bearing witness to _after_ the concussion, that was the real horror."

"That chase shouldn't have dragged on long enough for either one to happen," Life Line said, cutting the bandage and clipping it into place with a pin. "What happened, Mr. 'I Don't Miss'? Couldn't hit your mark when it counted?" she smirked.

"Wasn't trying to. The order was to subdue and capture. Besides, I didn't get much in the way of threatening vibes from this guy."

Life Line raised an eyebrow. "Didn't he knock out your sister?"

Night Flare shrugged. "In any case, the princess wanted…" he paused to yawn, "answers. We couldn't have gotten any if I put an arrow in his head or blew him to smithereens." He winced as Life Line secured bandage. "And was that a diss at my aim? You weren't there to catch this rodent's moves. He was quicker than any non-flyer I've seen so far. Come on, how often do I miss a target?"

"Hopefully not as often as you set the barracks on fire."

"Hey! It wasn't the _entire_ barracks," he said adamantly. "It was only two tables and one of the walls. And it wasn't my fault. How was I to know one little patch of overlapping wires would cause such a quick buildup? Nopony in their right mind would think it could cause an explosion that big." He huffed, choosing to stare at the wall. "I swear, you do one thing wrong and some ponies never let you–" he winced again with a pained grunt, "forget it…"

Life Line rolled her eyes with a half chuckle. "Hold still." She focused and ignited her purple aura of light. Leaning in, she touched her horn to Night Flare's head, her magic flowing into him at the point of contact. The pegasus felt his body relax, closing his eyes and taking a cleansing breath. Her luminous energy felt rich and cooling, soothing his injury and taking away his pain. When her work was complete, Life Line lifted away and ceased her spell.

"There. That should help with the worst of it. Try not to make any sudden moves or you'll aggravate it." Reaching into one of her red-cross-emblazoned saddlebags, she withdrew a small glass bottle full of round red pills. She unsealed the top, poured four of them into her hoof, and offered them to Night Flare. "Take two of these every three hours. If you feel it starting to hurt again before tonight, come and see me."

Night Flare eyed the small tablets, smirking playfully. "You sure it's safe? According to every movie I've ever watched, nothing good ever comes from swallowing a red pill."

"Just take them, you goof." She tried to sound mad, but couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips.

With a light-hearted chuckle, Night Flare took them, popping two into his mouth and swallowing. "You're amazing, you know that?" he said appreciatively.

Life Line suppressed a giggle. "I wouldn't go that far. A master healer would have you totally fixed already. But, thanks."

"Smart, cute, _and_ humble. You'll make a charming wife for sure," he grinned.

"Oh, shut up." She gave him a gentle punch in the shoulder.

A knock on the door broke their conversation. It opened, and through it stepped a white-furred pegasus member of the Day Guard. He had noticeable scrapes on his chin and forehead, the latter of which he was forced to wipe with his hoof as a flesh trickle of blood fell down his forehead.

"Oh, Flinthoof…" Life Line called his name uneasily. "What happened? …And please tell me it doesn't involve a ladder or table this time."

Flinthoof hissed his teeth. "If we should be so lucky."

Life Line tilted her head questioningly. "We?"

Another identical guard stepped through the door to stand at Flinthoof's left. This one had his hoof pressed against his neck, and had a noticeably bruised lip. "Banner?" Life Line's surprise doubled—then tripled when yet another guardstallion with a gash across his cheek and a black eye came in on Flinthoof's right. "Hard Rock?! You too?! What is going on here?! What happened to you all?!"

Night Flare, now completely serious, looked over the set of privates. "Where are you three coming from right now?"

Flinthoof glanced to the stallions on either side of him, and then said, "The training room."

The crease in Life Line's forehead held for several moments as she scanned them; analyzed them; noted their shifty silence, and their repeated subtle glances toward Night Flare. Finally, recognition dawned on her face—as did anger. "Umbra?"

"Umbra," Flinthoof said. Hard Rock and Banner nodded in confirmation.

Night Flare gave an exasperated sigh, closing his eyes and putting a hoof to his bandaged head. "Ah shit, here we go again…"

A few seconds later Night Flare heard the door slam. When he opened his eyes, Life Line, _'Uh-oh.'_ He slid off his chair. "You guys wait here," he said curtly to the stallions before shuffling past them, exiting hurriedly to catch up with Life Line.

He had a feeling that things were about to blow up big time.

* * *

An assortment of sounds echoed into another one of the barracks' hallways. Rapid-paced hoofsteps clacking on a wooden floor, sharp smacks of flesh hitting flesh, grunts of exertion and pain, and occasionally, the heavy thud of a body hitting the ground, eventually followed by a female voice shouting: "Next!"

From the south end of the corridor, a pair of pegasus guards came from around the corner—a larger-bodied white stallion, and a light bluish-gray mare, currently on patrol duty for their assigned section of the barracks. As they approached the training room door, yet another private gingerly exited. This one sported a set of bruises on his chest and forelegs, and a cut on the left side of his head over his eyebrow. The mare gave an uncomfortable glance at him as he left, then eyed the door as the sounds of combat continued.

"How often again does this happen?" Guardian Angel asked her accompanying corporal.

Breakaway made a non-committal sound. "It's only the third time…" Both of them cringed at what sounded very much like the hard crack of a hoof against a chin, another hard slam to the floor, and another shout for the next pony. "…this week."

"It's _Tuesday!_ "

"Did I stutter?"

Inside the practice room, an apprehensive-looking Glideway stood towards the room's center, a few feet from a white line that split the room in two. His three squadmates side by side to the left of the door. Their armor sat in neat piles in a row towards the back of the room, so the red marks covering two of the three spectators' sides and forelegs were clearly visible. One touched his chin, trying to soothe the souvenir from the uppercut he'd just received. The last one, furthest from the door and as of yet untouched, watched with dread at his soon-to-be fate.

Opposite from Glideway, at an equal distance from the divide, Umbra was poised in a low crouch. The tired gray bags under her eyes were defied by the burning intensity within them.

Then she pounced.

Leaping forward with her wings outstretched, she curled her right hoof back and threw a twisting punch at her opponent. Glideway jumped backward to avoid her strike, only to barely duck a follow up back roundhouse kick aimed at his head. Both of them stood up on two legs as Umbra pursued him relentlessly. Even at his larger size, Glideway rapidly found himself on the retreat as he struggled to block and evade the captain's fast and pinpoint-accurate punches. Even blocking—as well as Umbra's parries that warded off his own occasional counterstrikes—brought pain to his forelegs. Then, in a dynamic display, Umbra flapped herself off the ground, twisted around, and brought an axe kick down at the Glideway's head. The heavy impact broke the private's guard and knocked him off balance, leaving him wide open to an aerial side kick that caught him full in the chest. He grunted as he flew through the air, and landed awkwardly on his side, right on top of his right wing.

"Aaaahh!" Glideway cried loud enough to make his fellow privates gasp and cringe. A couple of them started to move as if to go and help him. Gingerly, he shifted so his side and wing were off the ground. He grasped where the joint met his back, hissing as pain shot through him.

"It's only a wing," Umbra said, staring down at him coldly. "Get up.

"H-Hang on a second!" Glideway pleaded. "It might be broken!"

"You'd _know_ if it were broken. Now get up and fight."

"CAPTAIN UMBRA!"

Umbra's eyes came off the white pegasus in front of her, her head rotating slightly. Behind her, Life Line and Night Flare had entered the room. Neither were pleased by what they saw. The former had only a slightly miffed expression on her face, but atomic explosions in her eyes. "What exactly is going on here?" Life Line demanded.

The Night Guard captain didn't even move. "Training."

"Training?" Night Flare remarked disapprovingly. "I've seen Phi Psi Omega initiations less extreme than this."

Umbra snorted to herself. "The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle."

"They've bled quite enough, thanks to _you_ ," said Life Line, the line carried no small amount of bite.

"Which only confirms their incompetence," Umbra retorted. Still without facing the two, she walked forward to where her armor lay on a shelf across the room. Her most recent sparring partner scuttled out her way and back to safety in between the three remaining members of his unit.

As she strapped her armor back on, Umbra continued. "I believed an impromptu session would allow me to assess each of them. To allow me to find which specific weak point that enabled last night's target to so easily escape the vanguard. Now I know the unit itself is to blame—a hive of incompetence and degradation."

"That's not what Princess Luna says," Life Line said harshly, finally losing her remaining patience at Umbra's callous rebuke. Umbra tensed slightly at the mention of night princess's name. "She was there too and made no such assessment. Unless you think you know better than her highness. Furthermore, as captain of the Night Guard, while you may have command over deployment and battle scenarios, you have no authority to discipline guards outside your division." Life Line's lip twisted. "But this barbarism doesn't have anything to do with these privates, does it? It's nothing but a misguided distraction from your own failure."

Finally, Umbra turned her head to meet Life Line's eye, her jade eyes like daggers. "I don't like your tone."

"And I don't like the bloody mess you've left of my squadron, so we're even."

The white-coated privates took a few cautious away from the pair. Night Flare said nothing, merely watching, an unsettled look on his face.

"Might I remind you, Captain," Life Line went on, " _you_ were the commanding officer during last night's operation. _You_ led the squad that was the last to encounter our mystery creature. _You_ had the last opportunity to prevent its escape, and you quite clearly dropped the ball." Umbra now turned fully around with an ever-darkening menace. "I'd say that makes you just as responsible for losing the target as anypony. The only reason these privates are here suffering your torments is your need to take your anger out on those who can't defend themselves. What would Princess Celestia and Princess Luna say to _that?_ "

Umbra strode towards the medic, spreading out her wings. She stopped barely a foot away. For about five seconds, the two mares glared at each other.

"You're a bold mare, I'll give you that," Umbra said at last. She gestured to the row of battered Day Guards with a nudge of her head. "Certainly bolder than this lot. But I wonder if you're wise enough to not overstep your bounds, _Sergeant_."

Life Line stood her ground against the shorter mare, not drawing back an inch. "My bounds extend anywhere where my fellow ponies are in danger." A deliberate pause followed. _"Captain."_

Dead silence filled the room. The two mares stood unmoving, their gazes locked. Night Flare and the slack-jawed privates watched, waiting for what would happen next.

To everypony's surprise, Umbra blinked first. She closed her eyes and wings with a dismissive huff, stepped around Life Line and walked past her. "Fine. Go lick your pups' wounds. For whatever good it will do them." Life Line didn't take her eyes off the thestral until she disappeared out the door.

There was a long pause as the Day Guards, including Life Line herself, released breaths they didn't realize they were holding. Down the end, Lucky Break gave a 'phew' of relief, silently thanking Celestia for sparing him.

"Wow, Double L. You've got guts," Night Flare said, coming closer to her. "I don't think I've seen anypony around here step to Umbra like that before."

"They ought to," Life Line sniffed, staring at the door a few seconds longer. "I don't care if the Night Guard has to put up with her, I won't let her terrorize my friends." She turned back to Night Flare. "I can't imagine being related to that shrew, blood or otherwise. Captain Armor will hear about this for sure."

Night Flare rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry for the trouble. She's a work in progress."

"Hmph, more like a piece of work."

Night Flare showed the bottom of his hoof in a weak gesture. Then he stepped over to the other pegasi guards. "Let this be a valuable lesson to you, boys. You have three essential rules to follow as Royal Guards: one, defend the ponies of Equestria. Two, protect the princesses with your lives. And three, and this one is _very_ important, never anger the tiny bat." The guardstallions managed to laugh despite their mostly sorry state. "Seriously though, you boys alright?"

"I… think so," Glideway replied, wincing as he touched his chest, which now showed the beginnings of a bruise. "Agh… she hits a lot harder than I thought she could."

"That's my sister for you. A lower-case individual with upper-case moves." He motioned to them. "You're dismissed. Whoever needs patching up, follow Sergeant Life Line back to the infirmary. She'll take care of you."

"Yeah, 'cause apparently that's my main job now," she joked. "Cleaning up your mess for the sixth time."

" _Fifth_ time. This one's completely my sister's doing, it doesn't count. Now, why don't you run along, _Sergeant_."

She saluted a cheeky smile. "Yes sir, _Lieutenant._ "

Motioning for the others to follow her, Life Line led the other guards out the door and to the left. Night Flare stopped in the door's archway to watch them depart for a brief period. Then he turned right, looking down the opposite stretch of the hall. He could still make out the moving trace of Night Guard armor.

Inhaling and exhaling, he used his wings to push off the ground and followed the retreating shape of his sister. Within a minute he had caught up to her. He landed gently a few feet behind her. "So, did you get everything out of your system?"

Umbra's ears flattened against her head. "What do _you_ want?" she hissed, again refusing to face him.

Night Flare shook his head, smiling faintly. "So cold. Is that how you talk to your poor, wounded brother?"

"Who has nopony to blame for his wounds but himself."

"Oh, my mistake. I just assumed the supposed best young fighter in the Royal Guard had things under control," he said somewhat sarcastically. "Couldn't you keep him pinned?"

Umbra stopped and glared darkly at her brother. "Couldn't _you_ hit a shot? If you hadn't broken my focus with your inane chatter, that thing would never have gotten away. And of course, having to count on you just ends up making things worse. Tch… 'never miss' my tailbone," she scowled. "The second a real scenario comes, your aim proves to be as inaccurate and unreliable as those toys you're always messing around with. Maybe if you spent less time tinkering and more time practicing, your arrows might actually hit their mark."

"Y'know, you don't have to be so hurtful _all_ the time," Night Way frowned. "Way I remember it, my 'toys' had him down before you were anywhere close. Maybe your focus just needs more focus.

Umbra huffed through her nose. "Trinkets and parlor tricks are no substitution for skill."

"But a little versatility goes a long way," Night Flare countered. "If you were to run into a bad guy you couldn't beat by just swinging your hooves and sword at 'til he went down, you'd be in trouble without a few more tricks up your sleeve."

"I don't deal in hypotheticals. The world is vexing enough as it is," Umbra said derisively.

Night Flare could only shake his head. "Whatever. Anyway, don't forget we've got that meeting with Celestia in twenty."

"I'll be there. There's no need for you to worry." With that, Umbra made a sharp left and proceeded down the next corridor. As she walked away, Night Flare made one last call to her back.

"Isn't that what family is for?"

He saw Umbra's gait falter. Saw her head turn the thinnest of margins. But, ultimately, she said nothing, continuing on her way in silence. With a dispirited sigh, Night Flare turned on his heel and headed back towards the medical bay.

Umbra came out from the building's interior and into the northeast corner of the barracks' practice field. She came to a stop near to where another platoon of guards led by Boomer drilled their formations. Not that Umbra noticed them. She was deaf to the world. Her mind was a swirl of emotions: irritation; frustration; and buried deep beneath it all, perhaps the slightest hint of contrition. But with a deep breath, she forced that last more bothersome feeling down. A skill she was exceedingly talented at.

With a clearer mind, she directed her gaze over and beyond the guard quarters' walled border: the royal palace. She opened her wings and was about to take flight when a familiar set of colors caught the corner of her eye. Peering to her right, she saw somepony she recognized—and her mood hardened again.

* * *

Another stallion duo headed across the border of the barracks' courtyard. A black and white pinto Earth pony who looked to be in his thirties, and a twenty-something gray pegasus with blue and white hair who followed behind. The younger Cloud Zapper looked around the base with a proud grin. It wasn't his first day by any means, but he still couldn't help the rush of excitement and joy that filled his chest every time he took this place in. His mere presence here was a culmination of years of dreaming and hard work.

"Taking in the sights, newbie?"

Cloud Zapper jerked out of his stupor. "S-Sorry Sergeant!" he said anxiously.

Roancoat laughed under his breath. "No need to be so uptight, private. Not with me. Our guys and girls try to make things a little bit more livable. It's hard enough just dealing with our unit's captain."

"Yes, sir! And, I've gotta say, I appreciate you taking the time to show me the ropes these first few months. I mean, we're not even in the same unit… or division, for that matter."

"Think nothing of it," said Roancoat. "We're all brothers and sisters in arms here. Militia, Aerial, Mystic, Inquisitor, the division doesn't matter. At the end of the day, we've all got the same responsibility to Equestria." He glanced sideways at Cloud Zapper, a small smile tugging at his features. "Besides, I was once a rookie too. Heh, you should have seen it; a fresh face straight out of Manehattan with no clue how to function around here. I know how it feels." He faced forward again; not long after, he saw a familiar stallion up coming up in front of them. "Ah, and there's the lieutenant now. Come on, I'll introduce you."

Up ahead, a beige Earth pony sat on the concrete that bordered the grass. His armor was removed, most of it sitting in a neat pile next to him. He held his helmet steady in front of him, polishing it with a hoof-sized brush. Roancoat called out to him as he and Cloud Zapper neared. "Hey Grit, there's somepony I want you to meet."

Cloud Zapper looked at the burly pony in slight awe. Without his armor, the young pegasus could see solidly defined muscles ripple under this pony's coat as he brushed the helmet. The stallion paused his brushing to glance at the pair. Roancoat extended his hoof a few inches towards the stallion.

"Rookie, allow me to introduce Lieutenant Grit Vigil. Grit, this here's Cloud Zapper. One of the new guys."

"That right?" Grit asked, his voice a low and gravelly pitch. "New blood for us?"

"N-No, sir!" Cloud Zapper responded shakily at first. Meeting members of the Inquisitors was unnerving. Their more secretive nature and clandestine work made them the stuff of fantastic urban legend even among the Royal Guard, and Grit Vigil was renowned as one of their best. "I'm part of the Militia. First Sergeant Roancoat has just been helping me get around since I began."

Grit's lip twitched. "Really? Well, you'll be better off with him than Vainglory, at least." His comment was met with a loud guffaw from Roancoat.

"Lieutenant! You shouldn't talk about higher officers like that in front of the newbies. Our captain's idiosyncrasies aside."

"Idiot-syncrasies is more like it," Grit scoffed. Cloud Zapper snickered but kept quiet as the two continued their back-and-forth. "That coward would rather send us to do the real work while he sits comfortably in Canterlot soaking up the credit."

"All the more reason we're so grateful to have a platoon leader as involved as you."

"It's what our boys deserve. Vainglory's useless. Only knows how to 'lead from behind.' What kind of officer would I be if I did the same?"

A biting voice abruptly cut in. "An absentee one sounds accurate."

The three stallions turned to see Umbra standing before them, her wings outstretched. Cloud Zapper's eyes held a mix of puzzlement and alarm; Grit's were narrowed in clear displeasure.

"Captain Umbra. To what do we owe the pleasure?" Roancoat said carefully.

"Nothing pleasurable about this debacle, I assure you." Umbra locked her gaze solely on Grit. "You spoke of 'leading from behind,' Lieutenant? According to last night's schedule, _your_ unit was supposed to be on site reinforcing the perimeter. Yet you were nowhere to be found. May I ask why?"

The stocky Earth pony regarded Umbra with an apathetic look in his eye. "Business in Manehattan."

"Is that so?" Umbra said sarcastically. "Galavanting off to the east side while your princesses are threatened? Seems to me there's mounting evidence that having so many Inquisitors running all over Equestria is a waste of ponypower. When I find your captain, I'll be sure to address his foolishness in letting his subordinates so frequently run off on wanton escapades."

"Respectfully, Captain," Roancoat intervened, "our outing was approved well in advance by Celstia herself. We were doing our jobs, same as you." He allowed a brief moment of silence before continuing. "There's been an uptick in theft, assault, and other criminal incidents over there. Apparently the police department had a recent shortage of staff and was in need of assistance, at least until they can fill enough places to get things back under control. There's no need for hostility. When it comes down to it, our duties are to _all_ Equestria, aren't they?"

"And what do you think would become of Equestria if its leaders are left unguarded?" Umbra countered. "Insignificant street thugs on the east coast are no imminent threat. Your place _should_ be here, defending the capital; not wasting time and resources poking your snouts into little street disputes that are of no consequence to us."

"Everything in Equestria is of consequenceto us." This time Grit spoke. His eyes were steel. His voice was low, but held undeniable conviction. "Doesn't matter where it comes from. What we don't take care of today will come back to haunt us tomorrow. You wanna talk about threats? There are threats everywhere. Behind every corner, in every back alley, under every rock. And you won't find them staying cooped up here with your nose three feet up Luna's ass."

Umbra burned with fury at the comment, squeezing her teeth squeezing so tightly together her jaw clicked, but remained silent nonetheless.

"That's the difference between you and us: you stay here hanging upside down, waiting around until our enemies are at our gate. _We_ go out there, find them, and deal with them. No matter how far outside Canterlot's walls they come from."

A tense silence hung in there for several long seconds. "So you say," Umbra finally said. She turned away to leave them—but not before directing one last aside at Grit. "A word of advice, Lieutenant: you'll find more often than not that our biggest threats aren't from the outside, but from inside."

* * *

"Let me have it!"

"Catch, Able!"

"I want a turn!"

"Comin' high, bro!"

"Hey!"

An intersection bordering one of downtown Canterlot's many commercial areas was in a stir. Not from the ordinary bustle of business ponies rushing to appointments, or entourages of wealthy elites traipsing about, basking in presumed reverence of every individual within their circle, but from a set of young foals. Two short-haired, beige unicorn colts, stood on each of the street, throwing a hoofball back and forth. Beyond their choice in hats—one striped black and red, the other black and green—they were completely identical. Between them was a similarly colored filly, with curly golden locks, a pink bow in her hair, and cheeks puffed in exasperation.

On a bench at the street corner, the hoofrest of which had a pink balloon tied to it, another identical another colt sat totally enraptured in the pages of a comic book. He paid no mind to the others' commotion.

"Able! Gable! Cut it out!" Honey Sweet complained. "My turn started five minutes ago! That's not fair!"

Gable, green eyes matching the color of his hat, replied: "All's fair in the crazy game of life, Honey Sweet." "If you can't win…" Standing up with the ball in his hoof, he brought it back and lobbed it as hard as he could. "You shouldn't play!"

Able scuttled backward as the ball went high. As it came down, he stood on his hind legs, eyeing the ball with expectant glee. "I got it… I got it… I go– awk!"

And he was promptly cut off by an unexpected, full speed tackle from Honey Sweet. With his head turned to the sky, Able never noticed the filly running as fast as she could towards him until she slammed full force into his middle, tackling him to the ground. She hit him so hard his hooves left the ground and he went sideways in the air. Gable cringed; even a passing stallion did a double-take.

The hoofball landed unceremoniously on the pavement and rolled to a stop. Honey Sweet skipped over and picked it up, looking very pleased with herself. "I win~!" she singsonged, sticking her tongue out at the boys.

Gable came over to his groaning brother. "When did _that_ become part of the rules?" he said bemusedly to Honey Sweet. "This was supposed to be Monkey In The Middle, not EFL Sunday."

"Guess I made a monkey out of _you._ " Honey Sweet joked. "All's fair, remember?"

"You… eh, I walked right into that one, didn't I?"

"Honey Sweet!"

The two swung around. A reddish-pink with a light blue, high-standing mane and a diamond around her neck and in each ear stood on the sidewalk outside one of the nearby buildings, calling querulously. "Honey Sweet! You leave those miscreants and come here this instant, young filly!"

A now pensive Honey Sweet faced back to Gable and his now standing brother. "Looks like I have to go now." She trotted over to the bench where the third colt was. "Thanks for watching my balloon for me, Fable."

The blue-and-black-hatted colt looked up from his comic book. "It was nothing, Honey," he said pleasantly. "See you in class tomorrow."

Honey Sweet untied her balloon's string from the bench and bid Fable farewell before scurrying towards her mother.

"It's about time, Honey Sweet," Floribunda said hurriedly when her daughter arrived. "Now come along. I have a meeting to attend in an hour, and you have a rehearsal. You've wasted more than enough time with those miscreants."

The filly's eyes cast downward. She couldn't understand why her mother disliked her friends. "Yes, mama…"

Grabbing her daughter by the hoof, Floribunda practically dragged her across Thoroughbred Way through an increasingly traffic-heavy section of the district. Within a few minutes, Honey Sweet couldn't even see more than a few feet in front of her, so congested was the street at this hour. "One side, you saboteurs!" Pushing herself and her child past a wall of obstructively slow ponies, Floribunda's sudden yank caused Honey Sweet to knock roughly into one of their sides and lose her grip on her balloon. Honey Sweet gasped, whirling around as it drifted higher and higher.

"Mama, wait!"

"Honey Sweet, I do not want to hear any noise until we get to the school. Ugh, that darn, slow stylist. That will be the last time I entrust myself to a new pony."

"But mama, my balloon!"

"Not now, young mare. You can get another balloon this evening when your father gets home."

Honey Sweet's eyes began to water. "But…!"

Ignoring her daughter's pleas, Floribunda tugged her along without stopping. As her balloon drifted away behind them, a pained Honey Sweet became unable to watch and hung her head, scrunching her eyes shut. A single tear fell down her cheek.

Floribunda tightened her grasp on Honey Sweet's hoof as she crossed the street. They would have to take the next left on Groom Street, and then it would just be a direct walk to School for Gifted Unicorns. As she approached the corner, she glimpsed somepony coming into her path in her peripheral vision. She tried to angle past them, but the pony stepped directly in front of her.

"Stand aside, you miserable–!" Words suddenly failed her. She saw not a set of eyes, but a gold-armored chest. She looked up—and found herself even more lost for words. Honey Sweet peered out from her mother's side and had to crane her head nearly ninety degrees to get a view of the stranger's face.

"Excuse me." The depth of the pony's voice made Honey Sweet's little ears tremble. A powerful foreleg curled out towards her, and in it was her balloon. "Is this yours?"

Honey Sweet's face lit up. "Oh, wow!" She took it back, beaming. "Thank you, mister!"

"You're quite welcome." Floribunda shivered when the stallion's blue orbs set on her again. "Be good to your child, ma'am. Those small moments will be all she remembers when everything else fades away." He politely inclined his head stepped out of their way. "Have a nice day." He went off along his way, leaving the mother and daughter behind.

Floribunda's head hesitantly turned to follow the armored pony for a moment longer. "W-Well now…" Clearing her throat, she looked back down at Honey Sweet. "Let's hurry along now, shall we?"

Honey Sweet didn't answer. She was too busy celebrating, grinning happily and rubbing her cheek into her balloon. Instead of repeating herself, Floribunda simply watched her daughter for a minute. She drew her lower lip between her teeth, remorse pricking at her heart. "Um, sweetie… how would you like to get some ice cream after your rehearsal?"

Honey Sweet was suddenly overjoyed. "Really?!" She threw her hooves around her mother's neck and hugged her tightly. "Thanks, mama!"

Floribunda softly smiled. "Of course, dear. Now come along, let's not be late."

================  
 **Friendship Express**  
 **2:27 PM**  
================

Soft chatter filled the inside of the Friendship Express as it rolled up the mountain towards Canterlot. There were relatively few passengers, which allowed the seven heroic youths inside to converse fervidly among themselves about their coming duty—and other things, as well.

"I still can't believe that sister of yours, Applejack," Rarity remarked in an exceedingly snooty way. "To say such a thing about the dedicated ponies of the Canterlot Chronicle… so _crass_. That paper caters only to the highest standards of journalistic integrity, and their halls are lined with nothing but the most diligent, honest of reporters. I hope not all of you more… erm, 'rustic' folk are so unworldly. Perhaps you might even consider a subscription."

"Us 'rustic' folk are all well and good 'far as the important things, thank ya very much," Applejack retorted. "And you sure you're one to talk, miss 'I dream of Canterlot fame and fortune'?" She arched a brow, smirking. "Sound's just a few bushels short of impartial to me."

Rarity opened her mouth, paused, then looked away with a scowl. "Hmph, 'impartial.' Fancy word for a farmer."

"Ya pick up a thing or two hangin' around upper-crust wannabes." Applejack had to hold in a laugh at the face Rarity made.

A couple of booths down Spike sat next to Rainbow Dash. "It sure feels like it's been lively for us around here lately," he said matter-of-factly. "This is what? The third big crisis we've had to help settle in barely a moon?"

"Fourth!" yelped Pinkie Pie. "If you count the dragon. Buuuut who's counting?"

"I say bring it on!" Rainbow Dash said eagerly, knocking her hooves together. "I've been dying for some more action!"

"Hah, you would." Spike glanced from side to side to make sure no one was within earshot. This next conversation was for him and Rainbow Dash alone. "By the way, thanks for sticking up for me with Twilight."

Rainbow gave a carefree shrug. "No biggie. Just returning the favor."

Spike responded with a smile—which slipped as he peered to the other side of the train. "You know, I'm glad you're eager for whatever the princess has for us and everything, but I'm a little less sure about somepony else." He directed Rainbow Dash to the other side of the aisle with a point of his claw.

Rainbow followed it to find Fluttershy, legs curled tightly underneath her and wings fidgeting in place. Rainbow sighed knowingly. The girl looked frightened. _'But when doesn't_ _she look frightened?'_ she thought. She flapped herself out of her seat and floated over to where her fellow pegasus sat. "Hey, Fluttershy!"

The mare jumped with a squeak. She took a second to right herself, then said, "O-Oh, Rainbow Dash. You–"

"Startled you? Gee, who'da thought?" Rainbow chuckled. A more sympathetic look then found its way to her features. "Are you good over here?"

Fluttershy blinked. "Um… what exactly do you mean?"

"I think she means you seem kind of jittery," said Spike, waddling over to join her booth. "Not to mention you've been pretty quiet since we left Ponyville. Even before we left, as a matter of fact."

"Well… I um…" Fluttershy avoided eye contact, hiding half her face behind her mane. But the source of her newest anxiety was pretty easy to determine.

"Is it 'cause of the paper? This 'Demon' they're talking about?" Spike asked.

Fluttershy's visible eye shifted to him, then back to the floor; but she eventually nodded.

"Hey, there's no need to worry," Spike said reassuringly. "I know this sort of stuff might still be kinda scary, but we've been down this road before, right?"

Rainbow swerved around to Fluttershy's other side. "Yeah! And we've totally handled it every time. Nightmare Moon, busted! Discord, stoned! Heck, you even stared down a dragon so hard you made him cry! All by yourself! You're all kinds of awesome too when you need to be."

Fluttershy smiled timidly and blushed at the compliment, loosely toying with a strand of her mane. She started when something touched her back; when she turned, a supporting look from Rarity greeted her.

"There's no need to fret, darling. This is certainly not our first rodeo," she smirked slyly in Applejack's direction, "so to speak." The farm pony gave her an indignant, half-lidded look, blowing upwards on her mane.

"And we'll overcome it the same way we always have." Twilight said as she joined them around the booth. "Together."

Fluttershy slowly swept her gaze around the circle of her friends. She was still a bit frightful. But their warm, confident faces brought ease to her unsteady heart. "Okay… together."

Right on cue, the train rocked to a stop. Its whistle blew loudly, marking their arrival in Canterlot.

The trip to the palace was a relatively short one. The mares kept up a brisk pace, knowing time was of the essence. In no time they were inside and trotting through the castle's corridors, seeing their destination, the door to the throne room, just ahead. As they neared it, a voice called out.

"So, the cavalry's here. Figures the princesses were waiting for you girls." To the right of the doorway and a ways down the hall, the group saw Night Flare and Life Line—the latter of which now wore his quiver on his thigh and his bow at his side—making their way their way over.

"Only natural. We are big shot heroes and all that," Rainbow bragged.

Life Line giggled. "Of course. Good to finally meet you the saviors of Equestria person."

Before the conversation could continue any further, the pleasant mood promptly disappeared as the throne room door burst open. The tall, well-dressed, agitated form of Prince Blueblood stomped through, throwing his head over his shoulder back in the direction of the throne room. "And you make certain to tell Aunt Celestia that we will discuss this in depth later!" He stomped away, his heavy hoofsteps rapping on the castle floor as the others watched him leave.

"What an unexpected, _unwanted_ surprise…" Rarity practically growled.

"Heeeey, wasn't that Prince Blueblood?" Pinkie queried.

"Yup. You can tell from the impact tremors," Night Flare joked, tapping his hoof on the floor. "The ground itself shakes under the weight of his ego; one of only two things in Equestria capable of such a feat." A generous round of laughter ensued.

Rainbow Dash pointed her hoof after him in a questioning manner. "What was his deal, anyway?"

"Still 'mildly annoyed' over last night, I imagine," Life Line answered. "Some unfortunate grunt smashed through his window during the whole invasion fiasco. He's been ranting and raving between the castle and Canterlot Daily HQ since morning, demanding justice for the, and I quote, 'mortifying smirch upon his royal honor.'"

"What could make him angry enough to go to the press?" asked Twilight.

"Nothing he didn't deserve, I'm sure," Rarity said spitefully, still glaring in the direction in which Blueblood had left.

Life Line looked more and more like she was struggling to keep a straight face. "Evidently, the prince was with company at the time."

There were several reactions. Rainbow Dash busted out laughing. Applejack lowered her hat, trying to conceal her snickering. Fluttershy flushed red, averting her eyes. Rarity continued to smirk down the hall, now practically radiating vindictive pleasure. Twilight, however, was confused. "So he… had a friend over?" She canted her head. "Like, a sleepover?"

"But not much sleeping going on!" Rainbow managed to get out between laughs.

"You don't get out much, do you, nerd girl?" Night Flare said wryly to Twilight. The unicorn grimaced, somewhat offended.

"E-Excuse me?!"

"Teehee, I like this guy!" Pinkie chortled.

Twilight growled. Spike also had to muffle giggles, shirking away to hide behind Pinkie Pie as she glared. Before the miffed unicorn could fire back, Rarity came up to her side and touched her.

"Um, darling, I believe he meant…" She gave a 'come hither' gesture and leaned in close, whispering into to Twilight's ear.

Twilight's face went from cross to quizzical. It held for a few seconds. Then her eyes went wide as quickly as she turned beet red, much to everypony's amusement. "O-Oh…"

"Hey, what's going on? What was it?" Spike asked curiously.

Pinkie patted his shoulder. "Sorry, no can say, Spike. Grown-up ponies—or dragons—only." Spike folded his arms and grumbled.

"Hey, hold up a minute," said Applejack. "How do y'all know so much about all that?"

"I'm sorry, we haven't been properly introduced, have we?" Night Flare gestured to the unicorn beside him with his wing. "This here is our resident light mage, Life Line. I'm Night Flare. Or, translated in Old Ponish, 'some unfortunate grunt.'"

Once again, Rainbow floated upside-down, cracking up. "Y-You mean… that was you? Bahaha! Oh man, that's hilarious!"

"I'm glad my stunning failure brings _somepony_ joy in all this. It's a small comfort." Night Flare cracked an uneven smile. "Forget my run in with the Demon, the resulting concussion, or having to not sleep most of the night for fear of going into a coma. Being unlucky enough to see his princeliness hilt-deep in some blonde floozy, that's the _real_ nightmare."

Suddenly, Rainbow Dash's laughing fit cut short, something clicking in her mind. "Wait a minute!" She zoomed right up to Night Flare. "So, if you're the guy from the paper, that means you saw it! The Blue Demon! That monster they're talking about! You saw it, right?"

Night Flare nodded. "Scar to prove it and everything." He rubbed a primary feather across his bandaged head. Rainbow Dash continued to pepper him with questions.

"What was it like? How did it get past you? Do you know where it came from? Where was the princess when–"

Her verbal barrage stopped only when Applejack pulled her backward by the tail. "Whoa there, sugarcube, bring it down a notch. You're suffocatin' the poor stallion." While Rainbow made a disgruntled noise, Applejack looked back to the male pegasus. "Either way, nice to be makin' your acquaintance, Lieutenant Night Flare sir."

"Please, just Night Flare. And it's our pleasure to meet the great heroines of Equestria." He smiled at Twilight. "Hope you didn't take offense, Twilight. I was just messing around. It's what I do."

Twilight scrunched up her face in a little pout. "None taken… I think."

Fluttershy, who had yet to speak until now, piped up. "Um, maybe we should go inside now? I mean… the princess _is_ waiting…"

"Right," Life Line agreed. "Come on Night Flare, let's go get this report over with. Then you're going back for some rest."

Night Flare blew through his lips. "Whatever you say, 'mom.'"

"Tch, I could never be _your_ mother. I would have disowned that sister of yours long ago."

"Oof, the sass."

The others followed Night Flare and Life Line inside. Only three other ponies awaited them inside; two gray-furred unicorn guardstallions, stationed at the throne's staircase, and Umbra, standing sternly to the right of the walkway a short distance ahead. The bat pony stood motionless, ignoring the new arrivals. But that didn't stop her from drawing at least one pair of eyes. Rainbow Dash quirked her head as she looked over the young captain, voicing her thoughts to her friends. "Whoa, check out that pony over there. Those are some weird colors," she said unthinkingly.

Umbra's ear twitched. Her already dour expression turned even more so, and she fixed the pegasus with a glare. "You think you of all ponies are one talk about colors, you chromatic assault on my eyes? Or is thinking just not your strong suit?"

Rainbow's features showed displeasure and bewilderment; as if that was the last thing she expected to hear. "…What did you just say?"

"Hard of hearing too?" Umbra said caustically. "Are all Cloudsdale pegasi so dull-witted, or are you just special?"

In a split second Rainbow was up in Umbra's face, teeth grit. "What'd you say, bat girl?! You wanna go?!"

"Rainbow Dash!" A bright magenta aura surrounded her, and Twilight pulled her friend back from the guardsmare. "Stop that! Don't you know who that is?!" she whispered harshly.

"Yeah! A pint-size bat pony that needs to get pressed into guano!"

"Get a hold of yourself!" Twilight scolded. "That's _Umbra!_ Captain of Princess Luna's division of the Royal Guard! She commands the entire Night Guard and answers directly to Princess Luna herself! In other words, not a pony you can go picking fights with!"

Rainbow looked at Twilight incredulously, then again at Umbra. The mare looked even younger than Pinkie Pie, yet she was a captain of the Royal Guard? "Seriously? _That_ little shrimp?

"It's true," said Twilight. "She's the youngest pony to ever come out of the E.U.P.G. Academy, graduating at the top of her class. In record time!" Her words drew some 'oohs' from a couple of the other Element bearers.

"I see you've done your homework, Twilight Sparkle," Umbra said flatly. "At least _one_ of Equestria's so-called chosen heroes is partially competent."

Ignoring Rainbow's grumbles, Twilight grinned. "Why thank you, I do try to– wait, _partially?_ "

"Alright sis, that's enough," Night Flare spoke up. "Lay off already." Umbra huffed, but said nothing more as she turned away.

"Hmph. Well, I've never heard of her," Rainbow said tartly. "How have you, Twilight?"

"Oh, my BBBFF told me when I still lived in Canterlot."

All five of the Ponyville mares now stared at Twilight. _"Your what?"_

"Twily!"

A new voice drew the group's attention to the from the throne room entrance. A tall stallion with a white coat and blue mane and adorned in purple and gold armor had arrived, smiling gleefully.

"Shining Armor!" A joyous Twilight ran and leapt to the newly arrived stallion, capturing him in a tight hug. "Oh, I've missed you so much!"

"Same here, kid. It's great to see ya!"

Rainbow Dash gave a low whistle. "Whoa. Who's the hunk?"

"Indeed~" Rarity agreed, fanning herself with a hoof.

"Yeah, Twilight!" Pinkie Pie added as she sprung over. "Aren'tcha gonna introduce us?"

Twilight lifted her head off the shoulder of the stallion's shoulder. "Oh! Of course." She stepped to his side and placed a hoof on his side. "Girls, this is Shining Armor. Captain of the Royal Guard, and my BBBFF."

The girls exchanged some rather confused looks.

"Big Brother Best Friend Forever," Spike clarified.

 _"Ooooooh!"_

"Well, I'll be. I didn't know you had a brother, Twi," Applejack said, approaching Shining Armor and offering out a hoof. "Pleasure to meet you, Captain Armor. Any relative of Twilight's is practically family."

Shining Armor shook it firmly. "You're too kind. Good to know Twilight has such good friends."

"So, what are you doing here?" Twilight asked.

"Reporting to the princess. And escorting our guests here for the same thing." He turned to his side and pointed towards the door. The next ponies to enter stunned the group, none more so than Rainbow Dash, which she loudly vocalized.

"Soarin?! Spitfire?!"

Said stallion waved to her, walking side by side with the Wonderbolts Captain. "Hey there, Dash. Been a while."

Spitfire gave an upwards nod of her head. "How you doin', kid?"

Rainbow flapped down to the ground in front of them. "You two are in Canterlot?"

"Not just us." Spitfire gestured behind them with her head. The team of Fleetfoot, High Winds, Fire Streak, Silver Zoom, and Misty Fly all filed through in short order.

"Oh my, the Wonderbolts too?" said Rarity.

"What are you guys all doing here?" Rainbow asked, doubly surprised.

"Give it a minute," Soarin replied. "You're about to hear all about it."

As if by signal, Princess Celestia herself finally arrived, flanked by her dutiful assistant Raven Inkwell. A pen and piece of paper hung in the air before her, aglow in her golden aura. She hurriedly scribbled something on it, rolled it up, and handed it to her aide. "See to it that this is delivered, Raven. Post haste."

"At once, your highness." Without another word, Raven was gone, back through the door and down the hall.

The remaining ponies genuflected as Celestia entered and passed them; save for Umbra, who merely inclined her head. Once at the foot of the steps leading to her throne, she about-faced and spoke. "Raise your heads, my little ponies."

As they righted themselves, Twilight hastened to her mentor, anxiety pouring out from her. "Princess Celestia, we came as soon as we got your summons! We saw the headline in the paper! Is it true? Is there–"

A raised hoof from Celestia stopped her. "Steady, my faithful student. There will be time for explanations. Let us first wait for my sister. In any case, I'm happy that you've come." Her eyes followed a line across the faces of the other five mares… then flickered downward, hanging on Spike. An eyebrow lifted.

Spike suddenly felt a pang of nervousness. Back in Ponyville, he had been adamant about helping his friends; but here, under the mother of Equestria's gaze, his resolve wavered. Twilight appeared to sense what was happening, and was about to start on her own anxiety-driven diatribe explaining why Spike's was here despite not being asked for, until Celestia's unreadable expression was replaced by a calming smile. " _All_ of you."

Twilight and Spike both exhaled softly in relief. The latter smiled back appreciatively, happy that he was welcome too. There was an abrupt pop of blue light, and Princess Luna appeared. Umbra was the first to bend the knee and bow, followed by the others. Luna and Celestia exchanged a look and nodded. "Now then," Celestia began, a new stern in her voice, "we have important matters to discuss."

"Beg pardon, Princess, but what's with all the extra company?" Applejack inquired.

"Yeah," Rainbow added. "The guards I get, but why are the Wonderbolts here?"

"They are all needed to accurately tell the tale of last night's disturbance, good Rainbow Dash," Luna answered."

"Is this about the creature, your majesties?" Rarity asked. "The one they're calling the Blue Demon?"

Celestia nodded gravely. "Indeed. I had hoped to keep news of what took place here confidential… at least for a while. To avoid a panic before we fully understood the situation. But, thanks to a certain pony's _impulsiveness_ ," a noticeable measure of irritation slipped through the sun goddess's legendary poise with the last word, "I'm afraid the media has now gotten hold of last night's events. By now it's spread like wildfire from Fillydelphia to Vanhoover, and everywhere in between." She paused to rub her temple. "But, no use fretting over that now. What's done is done. Now that all necessary parties are gathered, I'd like to hear just what happened here last night."

"As would I."

There was a new voice—a powerful baritone that rolled like thunder. It made the entire room looked to the throne room entrance. Twilight's mouth dropped open.

An absolute unit of a stallion stood in the doorway. He was massive, even taller than Luna. At first glance, he could almost be mistaken for a horse. His graying mane and thick, scruffy beard indicated a stallion getting on in his years; but his sinewy physique belied his age, his frame quite obviously thick with muscle beneath the gold armor that adorned his body. Fixed to his chest plate was a medal in the image of the sun; a mirror match of Celestia's personal emblem.

Shining Armor stood as straight as possible. "Attention!" Every other guard and Wonderbolts went rigid straight and saluted, holding their positions as the unicorn tread forward.

"Whoa… and I thought Twilight's brother was built," Rainbow Dash said under her breath in wide-eyed awe.

"Who is that…?" Fluttershy asked in a hushed voice.

"I have no idea," Pinkie Pie murmured. "…Why are we whispering?"

As the guardstallion approached, Celestia stepped forward to meet him. They stopped about two feet apart, meeting each other's eyes.

"Princess Celestia."

"General Gatekeeper."

"Did she say… general?" said Rainbow.

"Ooh," Pinkie uttered. "Is he an important pony too?"

Twilight breathed in frustration. " _Really_ , girls? You don't know?! That's the supreme commander of the entire Equestrian military! Not to mention their most veteran member! Of all the currently enlisted royal guards, he's served the longest at forty whole years!"

Awe passed across the others' faces. Applejack tipped her hat. "Whoa, nelly. We're gettin' all the top dogs today, huh?"

Celestia craned her neck forward, her eyes narrowing as she seemed to focus on something around Gatekeeper's head. After a moment, she smirked. "Did you change your shampoo? You did, didn't you?"

The stocky unicorn returned her smile. "Herbal Essence, your majesty."

"I thought so. Your mane looks bouncier than usual."

"I do like to look good for you."

"And I appreciate it."

"Oh, sweet Celestia, that _voice_ … just take me now~" Rarity swooned, letting herself tip sideways into Applejack, who looked less than amused.

Celestia spared the general another moment's attention before recovering her serious demeanor and returning to her place with the other ponies. "Now, on to the matter at hoof. Sister?"

Luna nodded, then directed her gaze to the heroines. "T'was yesterday in the early evening when I was interrupted from my nightly duties by one of our guards. When I regained consciousness, I awoke was a most outlandish sight: a black hole in the sky, rippling and crackling with lightning, just a short way beyond my spire."

Rainbow Dash gasped to herself. So that was the source of strange lights she had seen coming from Canterlot last night?

"Come to think of it," Spike said "I got this weirdest chill last night too. It was like standing right in front of a speaker on max volume."

Twilight looked at him. "You did?"

Celestia thought for a moment. "It... isn't uncommon for powerful magic or other forces to emit wavelengths through the air," Celestia explained. "A strong enough source can often be widely felt, and a dragon's senses do greatly exceed a pony's."

Spike thought about this for a moment, wondering what else he might be capable of. Luna then continued.

"Immediately afterwards, Sergeant Spearhead alerted me that there was an intruder on castle grounds. I ordered a platoon of my own division to assemble as a second line of defense, then went to joining the initial squad on the ground." Luna paused and closed her eyes, as if recalling something too fantastic to believe. "What I found was like nothing I had ever seen before… a strange creature that stood on two legs. Most of its body was blue, except for its tan arms and abdomen. It had large quills all along its head and back, and… oddly enough, wore white gloves on its paws and shoes of some sort on its feet."

"The Demon?" Twilight asked.

Luna confirmed with a bob of her head. "Sadly, barely a moment after I commanded the guards to apprehend it, it fled. Gone in an instant."

Rarity spoke up in shock. "It was able to escape from you so easily?"

The younger diarch pressed her lips together, looking at the floor. "Ashamed as I am to admit it…" She lifted her head to the six mares. "The creature's speed was blinding. By the time any of us reacted, it had blown past us, fleeing south towards the city. That was the last I saw of it."

Celestia listened with focused interest. "I see… Who was the next to encounter it?"

Umbra stepped forward. "That would be us, your highness. Captain Umbra and Lieutenant Night Flare, reporting."

Celestia regarded the young bat pony. "Proceed, Captain."

Half turning her head in her brother's direction, Umbra whispered stiffly, "Let _me_ do the talking." Night Flare merely rolled his eyes.

"I contacted my unit with word of the intruder not long after receiving Princess Luna's instructions," she said. "While our reserves prepped for its drop point further south, both the lieutenant and myself moved to intercept. Visual was confirmed of the target moving southwest down Tribune Lane two minutes later. The lieutenant was able to bring it down by binding its legs with one of his unique arrows." She paused to glare back at Night Flare. "However, due to an unfortunate miscommunication between the lieutenant and I, the target was able to take advantage of an opening and temporarily incapacitate me." She looked down in shame. "I… have no knowledge of anything that happened between then and linking up with the rest of my unit and Captain Armor."

Silently digesting the information for a few moments, Celestia shifted her attention to Night Flare. "Lieutenant Night Flare. Is the captain's description of the events accurate?"

"Yes, your majesty," answered Night Flare. "The rodent and I tangled for a good while after Umbra here took the L." Night Flare heard Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and at least one of the present Day Guards snicker. He also swore he could almost hear his sister's blood pressure rising. Both brought him a small amount of joy. "I chased him through Praetor Street and over a few rooftops. I had him on the ropes, but then he, get this, caught one of my explosive arrows out of the air and sent it back at me. That marked the end of my night as far as that's concerned." He chuckled ruefully. "But I'm sure your nephew's already told you all about that. Hehe–" Another throb of pain in his head cut him short. "Oww…"

"Thank you for your report, Lieutenant. And do tend to that injury when our business here is complete," Celestia said caringly. He answered her with a salute. Celestia then directed her gaze to her own captain of the guard. "Shining Armor, you were among the last to see this Blue Demon, correct?"

The stallion took a step forward. "Yes, your highness. I made contact less than half a click from the main entrance. He was everything Princess Luna and our Night Guard officers have described. I briefly engaged him and managed to seal him inside a force field with myself and reinforcements brought by Captain Umbra." A wave of disappointment clouded Shining Armor's features. "But… he was able to escape underneath it by tunneling through the ground." He hung his head, only glancing up when something touched his shoulder. He looked up to see a concerned Twilight resting a hoof on her. That alone was enough to brighten his face a little.

The other Ponyvillians exchanged looks. "He can outrun the guards _and_ dig through the ground?" Spike said in awe.

"What kinda varmint are we dealin' with here?" Applejack thought out loud.

"According to him, a hedgehog."

The room's attention now went to Spitfire. Luna's brow furrowed. "A… hedgehog?"

Celestia blinked. "Can you elaborate, Captain Spitfire?"

"Yes ma'am. My team and I got the message from Princess Luna just after o-seven-hundred hours," she recounted. "Following her instructions, we headed due south, arriving at the Rambling Rock Ridge area about forty minutes later. It was there we encountered this… 'Blue Demon.'"

"And spoke to him, apparently," Celestia commented. "What were you able to learn?"

"Not much. Like I said, he says he's a hedgehog. Also claims that he was dropped into Canterlot against his will. I didn't buy it, of course." Both alicorns exchanged glances at that last piece of information. Celestia's was the same as ever. Luna suddenly had a difficult time looking her sister in the eye, a new uneasiness in her features.

Pinkie Pie held a newspaper she got from who-knows-where, staring hard at the cover image. "Eh… I _guess_ I can see it. A little bit."

Spitfire's words also raised some eyebrows among the Ponyville group. Maybe, possibly, the first seeds of doubt over the whole situation were finding root in a few of the heroines. Rainbow Dash, however, was not one of them. "Yeah right! This freak tears up Canterlot and then conveniently says it was an accident? Does he think we were born yesterday?" she barked.

Celestia now had a perplexed glint in her eye. "Did find out anything else?"

Spitfire clicked her tongue. "Only that he's a mouthy little thing. Discussion didn't get us anywhere beyond that, so we moved in to apprehend. He… evaded us, and we pursued." The focus the Ponyvillians had on Spitfire seemed to double. Now the alleged hedgehog could even elude the best flyers in Equestria?

"He wasn't just fast," Soarin commented. "He had serious hops too. He was clearing rock towers and jumping between huge boulders with ease. We even saw him treat one huge arch like a derby loop. I didn't even think that was possible!"

"We chased him all the way off the edge of the ridge," Spitfire continued. "Thought we had him corned, but then he up and jumped off the cliff."

"What?!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Whaaaaaaaat?!" Pinkie concurred.

Spitfire snorted. "That's about the look I had on my face at the time. After that, I was pretty sure he was roadkill. But then he did this thing… he made himself into a ball and started… spinning. And I mean _fast_. So fast that by the time he hit the ground, he just shot forward. No crash whatsoever. There was barely even an impact!" She shook her head, as if she had trouble believing it. "Then he just kept going. Treated a one-thousand foot drop like a hop off the couch."

Fleetfoot stepped forward. "Half the team split with me once we were clear of the cliff. We went another way to cut him off, and we even got him surrounded. But when we engaged…" Fleetfoot turned away, appearing as if there was something on the wall worth glaring at, "things didn't go very well."

"What do you mean?" Umbra pressed.

"She means running fast wasn't even the beginning of what this thing could do," said Spitfire. "I've been around the block, and I haven't seen a whole lot of guys, pony or otherwise with moves like that. I'm not sure if he's really a demon or not, but he sure as hay fights like one."

"The whole time we'd get inches away, only for him to dodge and hit us back even harder," Fire Streak added.

"I can vouch for that," said Soarin, rubbing his jaw. "Misty Fly and I still have a loose tooth or two from those kicks."

"We tried to swarm him all at once and take him down quick," Spitfire said, "but then he did that rolling-into-a-ball thing again. One second he was spinning on the ground, the next he's shooting all around like a damn rubber ball." She grimaced. "My whole team… taken down in a second. It was so fast the only thing I saw were a few flashes of light."

Pinkie Pie and Spike murmured some inaudible words to each other. An increasingly worried Fluttershy nudged into Applejack's side. Rainbow Dash appeared more and more cross as the tale went on.

"You've got a good eye, boss," Soarin chuckled. "I only saw one. The one that hit me in the face, that is."

A brief smile touched Spitfire's lips, and she continued. "With my team incapacitated, I had no choice but to go after him alone. As bad as things seemed, I had one more trick that I thought for sure I could catch him with."

Spike scampered up inquisitively. "What is it?"

Spitfire looked down to him with a small smirk."Sorry, kid. Wonderbolt secret." She resisted laughing at Spike's disappointed frown. "But I _can_ tell you that using it can get me going really, _really_ fast." She motioned her head to Rainbow. "Almost as fast as Dash there when she does her sonic rainboom." Spike 'ooh'd in wonder, and Rainbow Dash beamed at the praise.

"I was gaining on him. I was so close I could see the whites of his eyes." She closed her eyes, her jaw tightening. "I thought after the first two attempts I had seen everything he was capable of… turns out I was wrong."

Luna's forehead creased. "What happened, Captain?"

Spitfire opened her eyes. "A sonic boom, your highness. Out of nowhere, the hedgehog went so fast he broke the sound barrier."

Nearly everyone in the room audibly gasped. Even the Wonderbotls—except for Soarin, the only one she had told since it happened—were flabbergasted. Even Gatekeeper and Celestia were visibly surprised.

"Hold on an apple-pickin' minute!" Applejack exclaimed. "Are you sayin' this mystery critter that's not even a pegasus… or pony of _any_ kind for that matter, can do a sonic rainboom?! Just like Rainbow Dash?!"

Spitfire shook her head. "No rainbow. Just the boom." She faced Celestia. "Whatever this thing was, it can go supersonic in the blink of an eye. Even going at my absolute top speed, he _dusted_ me."

The room was stunned at the revelation. Shock and astonishment of varying degrees permeated the guards, princesses, and most of the Ponyvillians. As for Rainbow Dash, Spitfire's final remark struck the most negative chord of anything she had heard so far. Disbelief mixed with a growing anger. Her mouth slightly parted, her upper lip curling and nostrils flaring into the prelude of an offended snarl.

"And you know the worst part? The entire time, he treated the whole thing like a game. Like it was all just for kicks…" Spitfire lowered her head, her face tightening. "I'm sorry, your majesties. You were counting on us… on me. When all else failed, you depended on us to get the job done… and we let you down." Similar looks of shame were shared by the other Wonderbolts.

"No." Shining Armor stepped forward, taking off his helmet. "If anypony's to blame here, it's me. I was the last line of defense for Canterlot. Its protection was _my_ duty… I'm the one who failed."

"Shiny, you can't blame yourself for this…" Twilight said in a sad voice. "Nopony could have known what this creature could do. It's not your fault."

"But it _is_ my responsibility. If I had been more diligent, the Wonderbolts wouldn't have even been necessary. I should have been able to stop him myself." He closed his eyes, grimacing as his ears dropped. "But I failed… and now it's lead to all this. Ponies all across Equestria are in fear because I couldn't do my job."

"Self-pity doesn't suit you, Captain Armor." For the first time since the meeting had begun, Gatekeeper spoke. The words from his lips rolled like thunder even at a moderate volume. "Nor is it deserved. Your sister is right. You were up against an unknown enemy with undetermined abilities. Until the final moments with Captain Spitfire at a much later time, nopony in all Equestria had any clue to the full range of the target's capabilities. You used your training, worked with what you had, and at the end of the day nopony was seriously hurt. Sometimes that is victory enough."

He swung to the Night Guard siblings and Wonderbolts. "That goes for the rest of you. From what I've heard today, you should all be commended for your bravery and quick thinking. And while you may not have captured the target, your actions most certainly prevented any immediate harm from coming to our ponies. That alone is worthy of pride. The citizens of Equestria have your thanks." He saluted them. "As do I."

The guards and Wonderbolts returned the gesture, standing tall, and looking considerably more high-spirited. The girls and Spike couldn't help but admire the old warhorse's surprising charisma. Even Luna was impressed.

Shining Armor failed to find words at first. But he would regain his composure, following his fellow military ponies in salute. "You honor me with your praise, general."

"Oldest lesson of command, Captain: never let victories go to your head, or failures go to your heart." Gatekeeper gave a friendly glance toward Twilight. "And for the record, Ms. Sparkle, it's thirty-nine years, eight months, and sixteen days." Twilight grinned sheepishly and blushed. The general then turned to Celestia. "Anything to add, your highness?"

"I couldn't have said better myself, general." She allowed herself a brief smile before turning to the others, her becoming serious. "Nonetheless, we mustn't let our reality be clouded. For now, this Blue Demon runs freely, and the ponies of Equestria fear for their safety. We must find this creature and deal with it." The princess paused, taking a breath, allowing both the others in the room and herself to collect their thoughts. "Unfortunately, tracking it down may prove difficult. There have been multiple sightings throughout the morning. Manehattan, Tall Tale, Baltimare. Reports have come in from several cities from ponies that claim to have seen the creature or heard loud echoes nearby. Presumably from the sonic booms this 'hedgehog' can create."

"Ooh! And Appleoosa too!" Pinkie Pie squealed, hopping up and down in place. "Cheerilee's class said they saw him on the way back from their field trip!"

"Ain't the best at keepin' a low profile, is he?" Applejack mused.

"The difficulty is in how quickly it can apparently travel," said Luna. "To reach from one end of Equestria to another in just a few hours… also, the sightings themselves are fleeting. Ponies are only able to get a glimpse of the monstrosity before it's gone again."

"He does know we're after him," added Spitfire. "No doubt he's making himself scarce to avoid detection."

"But it is odd," Shining Armor pondered, stroking his chin. "The best way to do that would be to avoid populous areas altogether. If he made sure to stay away from cities and towns, we probably wouldn't have most of those reports."

"He's probably terrified…" Fluttershy said meekly. "Being chased around in the middle of the night… all the fighting… if that happened to me, I'd probably run away without looking where I was going too. Just to get away from it all…"

"I don't think so," Night Flare interjected. "This isn't an animal or some mindless monster we're dealing with. He's a thinking, sapient being like the rest of us. Besides, of all the things I saw from rodent boy last night, fear wasn't one of them."

Umbra's head turned a few degrees. "Is that admiration I hear, Lieutenant?" Her voice lowered in pitch; perhaps a warning.

" _Analysis_ , sis. You heard Bolts. Our hedgehog here seems to be kind of a thrill-seeker. Running scared doesn't seem to fit the guy's profile."

"So what then?" Spitfire asked in a wry tone. "You think he just decided to go on a cross-country joyride?" Night Flare could only shrug.

"More like showing off!" blurted Rainbow Dash. "First he gets away, now he wants to rub it in everypony's faces!"

"Actually, Captain Armor might be onto something." Everypony's heads turned towards Gatekeeper. "Let's assess everything our demon has done up until now: he appears out of nowhere in Canterlot. He runs. He says he's not meant to be here. At every encounter with ponies, his first instinct is to retreat.

"Princess Luna mentioned a huge black vortex above Canterlot. The description of its appearance and emanation, and the creature's consistent responses to Equestrian forces leads me to conclude that this hole was some kind of portal. A warp from a distant location, not unlike certain spells we ponies are capable of casting ourselves. I believe Captain Armor was correct. This isn't the behavior of an enemy trying to avoid detection; rather, that of a creature that's lost and trying to find a way home."

Various emotions danced across the others' faces. If all that information was indeed correct, there was one other significant conclusion to it. "So you think the hedgehog was telling the truth." Spitfire voiced the unspoken thought on everyone's mind, her tone skeptical.

"I can't be certain, but it would explain a great deal of his behavior."

The ponies thought it over in silence. A few had to concede that the reasoning was sound. Others were less than convinced.

"Regardless of the creature's intentions, it is pertinent that we take action," Celestia intoned. "If it continues to roam with impunity, it's only a matter of time until another confrontation ensues, and somepony else gets hurt. Or worse."

Twilight could sense where this was going. "Which is why you summoned us, right Princess?"

"Yes, my faithful student. It seems once again your fellow ponies need your help. As the saviors of Equestria, and the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, I ask now that you help us to find this Blue Demon before any more harm comes to pass."

Rainbow Dash was the first to answer the call. "Leave it to us, Princess!"

Suppressing a giggle at her friend's enthusiasm, Twilight said: "Right. Don't worry Princess Celestia, you can count on us."

"Don't worry your highness, we'll find that critter!"

"Here here!"

"Okey dokey lokey!"

"Um… okay."

As the others voiced their agreement, Night Flare and Shining Armor looked on with smiles. The former out of respect for the courage them all, the latter out of pride for the boldness and initiative of his little sister.

 _'She's growing up right in front of me,'_ Shining Armor thought.

"Thank you, all of you," Celestia said gratefully. Her eyes then fall shut, and she exhaled softly through her nose. "But, I'm afraid that may not be the end of it."

"More…?" Fluttershy quivered.

Calling on her magic, Celestia brought out the scroll Raven had given to her earlier, unrolling and scanning it. "A string of other strange phenomena has been noticed. Ponies have described large, floating rings mysteriously appearing throughout the land. Even more peculiar, sources have described earthquakes where none should be possible. First the word came from our operatives stationed near Somnambula, then further north."

Confusion reigned among the others. "Do you believe they're related to the Demon's appearance, Princess?" Shining Armor asked.

"I can't say." She squinted at the parchment. "The closeness of it all is quite the coincidence… but whether or not they're relateed is anypony's guess. Even so, we must first focus on finding this alien creature. The most recent news indicates–"

The throne room door burst open, surprising everypony. A guard galloped in, sliding to a stop in front of them. "Princess Celestia! We have a situation!"

* * *

Next to one of the many establishments on Restaurant Row, Able, Fable, and Gable had their faces pressed close to a wooden fence that sealed off the rest of the alley. They peered through the gaps, gazing with rapt attention at the spinning gold ring that floated in midair a few feet away.

"Whoa…" Fable marveled. "What do you think it is?"

"No idea," said an equally perplexed Gable.

To the left of them, Able wasn't content to merely admire the discovery from a distance; instead, he was now trying to paw and grip his way over the thinly-spaced boards of the fence.

"Able, what do you think you're doing?" Gable questioned.

"Trying to get over this thing to get a better view, what's it look like?"

Fable suddenly didn't like the way things were going and took a few steps back. Gable shook his head at his brother's antics. "How many times do we have to go through this, Able? You're not gonna be able to climb something like that, I don't know why you keep trying."

"That's 'cause you're close minded!" he snarked. Gripping the edges of two separate posts, he awkwardly started ascending the fence. "I just gotta get my hoof between the little…" He pawed his right back leg between the thin spaces, and then angled it, seeking any traction he could use for leverage. Somehow his hoof stayed in place. The climb was ungraceful and slow, but sure enough, he was able to work his way up and get his front half over the top of the fence. "There, you see what I'm doing? My name's Able 'cause I'm _able_ to do everything I put my mind to while you haters just sit there and watch!"

He punctuated his last word with a push off the top of the fence with his rear hooves and a graceful land on the street below. Unexpectedly, however, the force of his pushing off the wood made the entire fence wobble and dislodge from its loose formation and fall backward—right on top of Gable, who was buried underneath a cascade of clattering wood.

Not even looking back, Able trotted up to the spinning, levitating gold ring. He stared in wordless awe as Fable came up to join him. Never in his—admittedly short—life had he seen anything like it. He slowly lifted a hoof up, wanting to feel it.

"Able, I don't know if you should touch it," Fable warned.

"Oh, you worry too much."

The instant Able touched the strange ring, he got goosebumps. The ring was smooth. Cool to the touch. But more, it seemed to radiate some kind of subtle, indescribable force. Gable could feel _something_ emanating from the shimmering object; and it sent small shivers down his spine. Fable watched cautiously. "Well? How is it?"

Able pursed his lips. "Cool. And… tingly?"

By now, Gable had plodded over. He was just about to start tearing Able a new one when he suddenly noticed a distinct lack of sun where there was prior. "Uh… did it get dark all of a sudden?"

His brothers quickly became aware of the same darkness. The three looked up and out to the opposite end of the alley and saw that they were standing a shadow. Something big was looming in the sky above; and that something was coming closer.

Fable gulped. "Guys… I think we better go home now."

Nothing else needed to be said. The three colts turned on their heels and scampered back the way they came.

A mysterious dirigible floated through the air above Canterlot. Its reinforced, gunmetal-gray gondola was armed with a set of three cannons on each of its sides, and hung from metal trappings that both stretched around suspended it from a large red balloon. Emblazoned on each side of the balloon, a bizarre, toothy face colored white. It moved ominously over the streets and towards the castle. Ponies below stopped and stared; some pointing up towards it, some retreating indoors, all gripped with a new sense of fear at what it could mean. The airship drifted continuously north—straight for Canterlot Castle.

Over at the palace, Princesses Celestia and Luna moved briskly through the entryway, the seven Ponyville residents and sibling Night Guard officers close behind. The two alicorns stopped on the edge of the balcony. A team of pegasi and Earth pony guards were already positioned: three in front of the ground floor doorway, two hovering over the walkway, and two additional pairs on each of the second-floor entrance, protecting the princesses' sides. Twilight, Spike and the others stared up with nervous at the approaching ship.

"What in Equestria is going on now?" Rarity muttered.

Fluttershy shrank backward, pressing into the sides of her friends. "I don't like this…"

"Don't lose your nerve, sugarcube." Applejack patted the frightened mare's shoulder. "We've got the princesses and everypony else 'ere. It'll be alright."

Gatekeeper came from behind and stepped up to the front of the group's right next to Celestia. His gaze trained on the airship, now a hundred feet away and closing, for a brief moment before he turned to meet Celestia's eye. She nodded to him, and then he quickly strode behind her, to the opposite end of the balcony and down the stairs.

There was a metallic hiss. A large hatch on the bottom of the dirigible's gondola slid open. Out from it lowered what the ponies observed to be a sort of round, metal half-orb. As the odd contraption levitated down to the castle, they realized it was a vessel of type. And it had a passenger.

The Egg Mobile stopped about twenty-five feet from the second-floor balcony, still high over the ponies' heads. When it did, Dr. Eggman stood up to take in the view of the creatures beneath him, allowing them to do the same. The sight of this clothed, nearly-hairless, ape-like creature was a shock to the Equestrians. Not knowing what to think, they said nothing as the scientist's mouth curved up in a slightly unnerving way. "A pleasure to meet you at last, Princess Celestia of Equestria."

Celestia's brow twitched. This odd being knew her name? Not impossible, given the venerable kingdom and legacy she had spent this past millennia building. But still…

Catching her sister's eye, Celestia motioned for her to remain put. A beat of her large wings carried her up off the balcony and down to the bottom of the stairs where she landed gracefully, stepping forward to meet this visitor. "It seems my reputation precedes me. But I'm afraid I know nothing of you. Perhaps you could enlighten us, stranger?"

"And we would appreciate if you were swift about it," Luna added curtly. "You've come at a rather inopportune time, and we have scant time for showmanship."

Eggman regarded her. "Well, I certainly wouldn't want to take up more of your valuable time, Princess… Luna, correct?" The younger diarch's eyes thinned. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Doctor Eggman! The world's most brilliant scientific mind! And I-"

A bout of giggles interrupted the doctor's monologue. Pinkie Pie lay on her back, holding her stomach, and shaking with laughter. "Tee hee hahaha! H-He said… he's an E-Eggman! Hahahahaha! That's the funniest name I've ever heard! Ohoho, I can't! My tummy hurts! Ahahahaha!"

"SILENCE! You insufferable nitwit!" "You dare to mock me?! I'll have you drawn and quartered in a–" Realization seemed to come back to the doctor mid-rant. He cleared his throat and composed himself. "Ahem… pardon me."

The royal sisters traded looks.

"As I was _saying_ … my name is Doctor Eggman," a hoof in the mouth from Applejack stifled any more of Pinkie Pie's cackles, "and I have come before you today on a matter of great importance."

"May I ask where it is that you come from?" Celestia asked.

"The 'where' is unimportant, your majesty. Nothing to concern yourself with," said Eggman, adjusting his glasses. "The 'why' is far more pressing. I _can_ confirm what you've already deduced: I am not of your land, nor of any you've ever encountered. My home lies far, far away from here. It so happens that I've stumbled across your quaint little nation by complete accident."

Her head tilted slightly blinked. "By accident, you say?"

"Yes. More to the point, in the process I've lost several extremely valuable pieces of my property."

"...And what exactly would you ask of me, doctor?"

Eggman smiled. "Actually, your highness, my request is quite simple: that you do nothing."

Celestia frowned. "Nothing?"

"Precisely. All I ask is that you allow me and my… 'cohorts' to scour your land in search of my missing items. Once I reacquire what it is I seek, I will be on my merry way, and you will likely never see me again."

Celestia's eyes hung on the doctor for a moment before she spoke. "Perhaps we can assist you in locating this property of yours. It could make your search go more quickly and smoothly."

"That will be unnecessary, dear Princess. These items are of a very particular nature. Only I have the means to locate them, and I assure you I can do so in no time at all." Celestia didn't immediately respond, mulling over the doctor's request; considering every aspect of his arrival as well as his words.

"So then, I trust you find my terms simple enough?" Eggman said. "Give me leave to find what I'm looking so that I may resume my usual business. Once I've recovered what I seek, my underlings and I will depart your fair land. Make no attempts to resist or interfere, and any… collateral damage will be minimal. Otherwise…"

Celestia's magenta eyes narrowed "Otherwise…?"

Eggman showed his teeth in a grim smile. "Otherwise the Eggman Empire will grind your nation into dust."

Several mouths dropped open. A number of the ponies didn't actually think they heard that right; the sheer _audacity_ of it. Twilight and her friends wore looks of shock. Night Flare tensed, reaching a wing out to rest it on his bow. Umbra lifted her right hoof off the ground, feeling a fresh awareness of the saber hanging on her left side. But none of their reactions paled in comparison to Luna's. Her's was a look of complete outrage; with an emphasis on rage.

"So, your highness? What do you say?"

Luna bared her teeth in a snarl. _"You_ DARE _?!"_ Her folded wings snapped up vertically—a wordless signal. Umbra responded immediately, drawing her sword in a flash. Night Flare pulled his bow out of its clip on his belt, stood to two legs and notched an arrow. The other guards angled their spears towards Eggman's floating vehicle.

Celestia swung her head around. "Peace, Luna!" she shouted, unfurling her own wings, the gesture directing the guards to hold.

"But, sister…!" Luna tried to say.

"I will handle this." Celestia's voice was firm, yet calm. She faced back to Eggman. "You have made your point, doctor."

Eggman laughed, practically oozing a menacing arrogance. "Wonderful. Now that we have an understanding, I can move on to more important–"

"Now I will make _mine_."

Her words broke off the doctor's monologue. Surprised and annoyed, he looked back down at Celestia with a questioning grunt.

Celestia's wings flapped once before they resumed their tall display, adding a measure of height and grandness to her image. "I have ruled Equestria for a long time, Dr. Eggman. And I have lived for even longer still. I've seen the dawning and conclusions of entire eras of history. I've watched countries freeze and cities burn. I've seen entire civilizations rise like the morning sun and fall like the dark of night. And in that time, I have also met a great many different beings."

Her lips curled upward, her tone softening as centuries' worth of feelings, comrades, and memories passed through her mind. "Many were kind and respectable creatures, be them my subjects or not. A number of them were one-time vagrants and threats who sought to do ill against our kind, but were shown something better, and ultimately became friends. And some…" The smile vanished, and when she next spoke, her voice held an inauspicious edge. "Some were little more than black-hearted fiends. Vile tormentors whose only desire was to steal, kill, and destroy. Scourges that cared nothing for the land or lives they would ruin, all in the name of banditry, conquest, or mere entertainment." She paused, letting her words hang in the air.

"You arrive in my city with a massive warship in tow—an act blatantly meant to intimidate. You carry yourself with an unquestionable air of superiority and maliciousness. And you casually threaten all those who call Equestria home, demonstrating you have no qualms about harming others to achieve your own selfish goals."

As a smirk slowly grew on Eggman's face.

"It is clear to me you have a twisted mind, and a wicked heart." Her eyelids shut. "You ask what I say to your offer?" In an instant, a golden corona of power flared to life around her horn. When her eyes opened again, they revealed only pupil-less glows of white. "ONLY _THIS!_ "

A single wingbeat took her several meters into the air. With a sweep of her head, she fired a blast of yellow energy easily than a foot in diameter towards Eggman, which collided with his floating pod. It jerked backward, Celestia did not relent.

 _"I will allow NO ONE to harm my ponies! Equestria will NEVER submit! Least of all to a petty tyrant like YOU! Not as long as there is still breath in my body!"_ Her righteous anger fed her power. The yellow laser intensified until it was as bright as the sun she raised every morning, forcing those below to shield their eyes from the glare.

But then, through the light, both Celestia and the onlookers noticed something: Eggman's vehicle wasn't moving.

That's when they saw it—a circular, almost see-through barrier surrounded the Eggmobile. To the amazement of all, it had completely stopped Celestia's attack. The concentrated beam of magic carrying every bit of their almighty ruler's will to protect her subjects, that no mere mortal should have been able to stand up against, was easily repelled, the only result being the wispy trails of gold that danced off the point of impact and shimmered away into nothingness.

And behind the protective sphere, Eggman was unharmed.

He adjusted his dark glasses with a grin, mocking Celestia as if her best efforts were nothing but a cheap light show. The blast rippled strangely at the point of contact with the barrier before exploding in a powerful backlash, back towards its source. Celestia had time only for a weak gasp; a pained cry followed as the reflected wave of her own power struck her out of the air. She plummeted down and hit the ground, her body bouncing and rolling to a rough stop in the dirt. For a painfully long moment, she there lay on her side, unmoving.

Silence. Dead, disbelieving silence proceeded Celestia's fall. Then it shattered with a set of screams; first from Luna, then multiple others.

"Celestia!"

 _"Princess!"_

Celestia never heard them. All she could hear was a high pitched ringing noise that drowned out everything around her. She might have hit her head, she thought to herself. Lifting her head, the world around her was a disorienting mess of twisted blurs. With all the strength she could muster, she tried to gather herself; tried to push herself back to her hooves. She succeeded in getting one of her front hooves underneath her, only steady enough to slightly lift her chest. As her surroundings started coming back to her, the first thing she could make out was Eggman's laughter.

"Your past glories blind you to your present reality, Princess," he said cruelly. "You fail to see that the most powerful being in the world stands before you. Allow me to correct your oversight."

With the press of a button, six masses fell from the Egg Balloon's still open hatch. Six robots dropped down in front of the castle steps: four Egg Pawns, and two Flappers that hovered in midair, guns leveled at the ponies.

"I advise you and the other beasts of burden to not make any sudden moves, little moon horse," Eggman said to Luna. With a snap of his fingers, one of the bots shifted its weapon and fired several shots at the staircase's stone pedestal. It exploded into dust, frightening most of the ponies above. "Unless you're certain those plush-looking bodies of yours are many times stronger than stone."

Luna and the guards glowered at the madman. Umbra squeezed the grip of her saber so tightly it shook. If only he was a little closer…

The others weren't faring any better. Spike hugged onto Twilight's leg. Rarity hid behind Applejack, who along with Rainbow Dash did her best to keep a brave face. Fluttershy shrunk to the floor, shaking like a lead. Twilight racked her brain, panic at the threat warring with the desire to help her friends and teacher. But a solution eluded her. What were these things? That… whatever it was that just shot out from one of their arms? It was impossibly fast. One second part of the stairway had been there, the next it was destroyed. How were they supposed to get past that? Any spell she'd try to cast wouldn't be quick enough. What move could she, could _any_ of them make that wouldn't result in their immediate end?

Celestia still pushed against the ground, her body trembling with the effort. The blast hadn't injured her, but it had taken all of her strength. But at least she had regained her senses.

"I have to say, 'your highness,' I'm a bit disappointed," Eggman said. "I offer you an olive branch, and you knock it from my hand? I expected more diplomacy from a bunch of weak-willed farm animals." His taunting drew further hateful glares from below. "But, because I'm feeling particularly generous, I'm willing to give you one more chance. You will guarantee that none of your little toy soldiers or any of the other insignificant equine you rule over will interfere with my goal." A malicious grin spread across his features. "Unless you'd like some corpses to pile up on your conscious."

There was the sound of the robots cocked their weapons. The spear-holding guards tensed, and the six mares shrank back. Horror overcame Celestia.

"So, your majesty? What will your answer be?"

Celestia's teeth squeezed together. She'd tried to strike this foe down right away to defend her subjects. Tried, and failed. Now the lives of her sister, her loyal guards, and the guardians of Equestria hung by a thread. As much as it turned her stomach… she had to appease this villain. At least until her ponies were out of harm's way. She opened her mouth to respond.

"NO WAY!"

It took a second for Celestia to realize the words weren't hers. The confused Equestrians lifted their heads and ears, right before a round shape laminated in blue light flashed across their lines of sight. It struck all six of Eggman's robots in quick succession, flipping off the last airborne Flapper in a high vault and landing in a crouch in front of Celestia.

The bystanders were awestruck as Sonic rose to his feet in full view. He stared right at Eggman, putting himself directly between his archenemy and Celestia. The elder princess stared at his back, her mouth slightly agape, and her eyes twinkling with a multitude of emotions and thoughts.

"Did y'all see that?" Applejack said in a quiet voice. "He just took out all six of 'em… in the blink of an eye!"

Twilight stared with wide eyes. "Shining?" she breathed. "Is that…?"

"It's _him_." Shining Armor answered in a harsh whisper. "That's the creature."

The girls gasped.

 _'That's him?'_ Twilight thought. _'That's the monster that attacked Canterlot?'_

Rainbow Dash's face was tight as she stared intently and sourly at the blue hedgehog. _This_ stringy thing took down the Wonderbolts? He didn't look like anything special to her. Fluttershy placed a hoof over her mouth. Even Pinkie was unusually silent, only a soft 'ooh' as escaping her lips she watched the confrontation go down.

"You've got terrible manners, Egghead," Sonic said, his tone carrying its typical snark. "Dropping in uninvited? Threatening the hosts? Wrecking the décor? You make a lousy house guest."

Eggman growled. "I knew you were still alive, you miserable rodent."

"And I knew it was only a matter of time before you made your move." Sonic's smile slipped. "Was making Mobius miserable not enough for you? You had to go and drag other innocent creatures into your delusions of grandeur?"

Eggman huffed scornfully. "Oh, please. These pathetic ponies are barely a step above livestock. Turning them into the next batteries for my army would be too good for them."

Sonic scowled. "Different dimension, same zero respect for life," he said with disgust. "They're not yours to terrorize any more than the citizens of Mobius are."

" _Everything_ is mine to do _whatever_ I please with, hedgehog. If I were to decide to turn this primitive collection of pastures into my new industrial capital, it would be their privilege to serve a small part in my empire's further elevation." Eggman fixed the ponies below with a contemptuous stare. "But then again, that would be too good for them. This antiquated backwater would make a better landfill than it would a seat for my throne."

Some of the insulted ponies showed anger at his words. Most showed fear.

"You've got eggs for _brains_ if you think I'm gonna let that happen!" Sonic declared, raising a tightly-squeezed fist. His words turned several of the ponies' heads. Many of their expressions now held puzzlement; an almost hopeful uncertainty. As if they were suddenly looking at him in a whole new light. Sonic half-stepped his right foot backwards at an angle, readying himself in a loose stance. "So let's just skip ahead to the part where I reintroduce my soles to your wide butt."

Eggman scoffed. "You may be disappointed by the result." He adjusted his glasses, a foreboding smile coming to his face. "You know, I hadn't originally planned to waste my army's ammo or energy on these frail little equines. I was simply going to cow them into doing my bidding with a show of force. But since you're here now… why not have a little early access!"

He slammed his hand down on another button on the Egg Mobile's control panel. Two small, circular panels on either side of the pod's front-mounted lamp slid open. A pair of gun barrels extended forth, aiming directly at Sonic.

Alarm flooded Sonic's face with a sudden realization—the downed alicorn behind him was directly in the line of fire. Speed was of the essence. Quicker than the blink of an eye, Sonic spun around and—with an ease that surprised the much larger Celestia—scooped her up in his arms, the gunshots ringing out and bullets flying even as he reached for her. He shot to the right and carried her out of harm's way just in time, a couple of rounds of the Egg Mobile's gunfire passing through the end of her ethereal tail.

"Get down!" Most of the ponies didn't have to wait for Night Flare's cry to dive for cover. In a split second, Luna cast a barrier around her two officers and the seven young heroes behind her, shielding them from the spray of bullets that buffeted her sphere of blue energy.

"He's got the princess!" Rainbow yelled, watching Sonic fly off with Celestia.

Again Eggman growled, cursing his foe's reflexes. "You can run, hedgehog, but you can't hide. Not with what I'm about to bring to bare."

"Are you MAD?!"

Eggman turned his gaze back down to the voice. It was Luna. "Do you realize the gravity of what you've just done?! Attacking a princess of Equestria is considered an act of war!"

"Then welcome to the front lines, 'your highness,'" Eggman jeered. His Egg Mobile turned right and started to float up and away.

Rainbow Dash, seeing him escaping, sprang into action. "Oh, no you don't!" Before anyone could stop her, she blasted straight for the doctor. Only to be met with the impenetrable wall and shocking force of the shield that protected him. Painful electric bolts coursed through her body and she was sent spiraling away.

"Not particularly bright, are you?" Eggman sneered. He continued unimpeded towards his airship, leaving the ponies behind. Now was the time. With a face full of dark intent, he pressed another switch on the control panel. _"Game start."_

* * *

Sonic zoomed through the streets. His usual blue trail now had some additional sparkle from Celestia's flowing mane and tail. In seconds, he'd carried her nearly a mile away from where Eggman had tried to end both their lives, coming to the top of a small hill overlooking the Canterlot suburbs. To say that Celestia was surprised was an understatement. Being swept off her hooves like a distressed damsel for the first time in many, _many_ centuries was quite the unexpected occurrence; though, not an unpleasant one.

"There we go, this should be far enough." Sonic shifted the larger alicorn so she could stand, not releasing her until all four hooves were on the ground. "You should be safe out here, your highness. Sorry for the rough ride."

Celestia look him over with an odd expression, but ultimately smiled. "Thank you."

Sonic returned it with one of his own, rubbing his nose in trademark fashion. The happy moment was ended when an explosion rang out from behind them. Both of them snapped their heads in the direction of the sound. Celestia drew a worried breath—the orange glow of flames and accompanying column of smoke was visible towards the center of Canterlot. Above it, she could make out what looked like a giant, shiny blue wasp high above downtown. The vague shapes of dozens of more robots descended from the giant battleship.

"Here they come," said Sonic. "You have to get your ponies off the streets. Hunker down and keep yourselves out of harm's way. Leave the robots and Fat-man to me." He crouched back and made ready to take off towards the army of automatons.

"Wait."

Celestia's voice halted him mid-step, causing him to look back over his shoulder. The alicorn was gazing down at him with a scrutinizing expression.

Celestia, for her part, wasn't quite sure what to think of the so-called 'Blue Demon' anymore. With all that happened, she was certain he'd be miles away from any semblance of Equestrian authority. Coming back to the scene of his alleged crimes alone seemed irrational. But not only had he returned, he'd seemingly done so to oppose another who sought to do them harm. And rescuing her? It went against every piece of logic that identified him as a threat. Even so, some uncertainties remained. "Just who are you? Why have you come to Equestria?"

Sonic started to answer, but was cut off by the sound of laser fire in the distance. "Let's hold off on introductions 'til later. Right now there's a city to save." Those were his last words before he burst off towards downtown, a familiar fire burning in his heart.

"Time to do that hero thing!"

 **XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

 _ **Holy crap, that's a lot of words. ? I had no idea it would stretch this long, but there was a whole lot that I wanted to happen to set things up. Small notice, a bunch of artwork for the secondary characters is still in the works. They'll be coming out sooner or later.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: Cloud Zapper belongs to**_ ** _Cloudzapper8_** _ **, River Mouth and Drizzle Hoof belong to**_ ** _Raugos_** _ **. Big thanks to these guys for allowing me to use their OCs to expland the Royal Guard.**_

 _ **Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals. And happy New Year to all.**_


End file.
